An Australian polar adventurer has safely returned to Earth after completing a historic spaceflight over both the north and south poles. Eric Philips, along with three other private astronauts, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast on Friday morning (Saturday AEDT), concluding a three-and-a-half-day mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
This marks the first time a human-crewed mission has travelled in a circular orbit passing directly over the Earth’s poles — a route no humans had flown before.
International Crew, Polar Route
The polar orbit spaceflight was privately chartered by Chinese-born, Malta-based Bitcoin investor Chun Wang. He was joined by Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australia’s Eric Philips, a renowned polar guide.
Philips becomes the fourth Australian to travel to space, and notably, the first to do so aboard a SpaceX spacecraft.
Scientific Focus and Historic Views
Equipped with a domed window offering 360-degree views of the Earth’s surface, the crew conducted a range of scientific experiments while enjoying unprecedented visual access to the polar regions. Every 40 minutes, the capsule passed over the icy landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic.
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“It is so epic because it is another kind of desert, so it just goes on and on and on all the way,” said Ms Rogge in a video posted by Mr Wang on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite suffering space motion sickness initially, the crew quickly adapted and were able to open the window above the South Pole by the second day in orbit.
Fram2: A Nod to Historic Exploration
The mission was dubbed Fram2, named after the Norwegian ship Fram that carried polar explorers in the early 20th century. A piece of the original ship’s wooden deck accompanied the crew into orbit — a symbolic tribute to human exploration, both on Earth and in space.
Groundbreaking Medical Experiments
During the mission, the team conducted 24 scientific experiments, many of which were designed to study how the human body responds to microgravity. Notably, they performed the first-ever medical X-rays in space.
Post-splashdown procedures included additional medical tests. The crew exited the capsule unaided, carrying their own gear to aid research into post-flight motor control and balance. All four reportedly felt well and were seen pumping their fists in celebration upon recovery.
Return to the Pacific: First in 50 Years
This mission also marked the first Pacific splashdown by a crewed spaceflight in half a century. The last such return occurred in 1975, when NASA’s Apollo-Soyuz mission concluded in the Pacific.
SpaceX explained the decision to shift from the usual Florida recovery zone to the Pacific was made for safety reasons. It ensures that jettisoned components, such as the spacecraft’s trunk, land in the ocean away from populated areas.
Cost Remains Confidential
Mr Wang declined to reveal the cost of the private expedition. However, such privately funded missions are known to range in the tens of millions of dollars.
With Fram2 now complete, the mission is being hailed as a landmark in commercial space travel — pushing boundaries not just in orbital routes, but in the potential for citizen-led science and exploration.
