Fram2 mission, launched by SpaceX on March 31, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, achieved a historic milestone as the first Dragon human spaceflight to explore Earth’s polar regions in a polar orbit, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on April 4, 2025, at 9:19 a.m. PT.
Nearly four days after the @framonauts launched to a polar orbit, Dragon and the Fram2 crew are set to return to Earth on Friday, April 4 → https://t.co/vSt6tfeLZG https://t.co/IDmiHVhG42
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 4, 2025
Over nearly four days, the entirely rookie crew Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips, conducted 22 research studies, including the first x-ray in space, exercise studies for muscle and skeletal health, and growing mushrooms in microgravity, advancing human capabilities for long-duration space exploration.
Launched via Falcon 9, this mission also tests the crew’s ability to exit unassisted after splashdown, providing insights into astronaut functionality following spaceflight.
A live webcast of the splashdown aired on SpaceX’s website and X @SpaceX, including the new X TV app, starting an hour prior, showcasing this pioneering West Coast recovery for the Dragon spacecraft.