We named this project The Blue Marble in homage to the photograph of the same name. This picture of Earth was taken by NASA astronauts on December 7 1972, from the Apollo 17 spacecraft while on its way to the Moon. Viewed from around 29,400 km (18,300 mi) from Earth's surface, it has become one of the most reproduced images in history.

The crew of the Fram2 mission. From left to right: Mission Specialist Rabea Rogge, Vehicle Pilot Eric Philips, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen and Mission Commander Chun Wang.

FRAM2 was the first human spaceflight to explore Earth from Space flying over the North and South Pole. It launched from Florida into a 90° circular orbit around Earth at an altitude of 425-450km.

The North and South Poles were invisible to astronauts on the International Space Station, as well as to all previous human spaceflight missions except for the Apollo lunar missions but only from far away. To date, the highest inclination achieved by human spaceflight has been the Soviet Vostok 6 mission, at 65°. This new flight trajectory unlocked new possibilities for human spaceflight.

The crew observed Earth’s polar regions at an altitude of 425–450 km. At this altitude, they flew from the North Pole to the South Pole in just 46 minutes and 40 seconds, exactly 30 times faster than the One More Orbit mission did in 2019, when crew member Jannicke Mikkelsen and her team circumnavigated the Earth in a Gulfstream G650ER and set the Guinness World Record.

Throughout the 4-day mission, the crew observed Earth’s polar wilderness through Dragon’s cupola, leveraging insights from space physicists and citizen scientists to study unusual light emissions resembling auroras.

The crew studied green fragments and mauve ribbons of continuous emissions comparable to the phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which has been measured at an altitude of approximately 400–500 km above Earth’s atmosphere.

The crew also conducted a variety of research to better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body and developed tools to prepare humanity for future long-duration spaceflight, from capturing the first human x-ray images in space to Just-in-Time training tools to the effects of spaceflight on behavioural health.

Jannicke is a film director and cinematographer living on Svalbard, specializing in fringe-technology, creating next-generation technology for movies shot in remote and hazardous environments such as the Arctic, ocean, aviation, and space. In 2019, Jannicke served as Payload Specialist on the record-breaking polar circumnavigation flight One More Orbit mission in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Rabea is a robotics researcher from Berlin, currently pursuing her PhD in Norway. She has always been fascinated by extreme environments, studying them to understand the limits of our world — and to push beyond them. Her work includes leading a satellite mission and researching ocean robotics in the Arctic, reflecting her commitment to advancing technology in both polar regions and space.

Eric is a professional polar adventurer and guide, having completed numerous ski expeditions to the North and South Poles. He is co-founder of the International Polar Guides Association and co-creator of the Polar Expeditions Classification Scheme, which has earned him international recognition and respect.

Chun’s journey into blockchain began in 2011. He co-founded f2pool and stakefish, which are among the largest Bitcoin mining pools and Ethereum staking providers.