4 astronauts to be the first to orbit the poles on a privately funded SpaceX mission
In a mission funded and commanded by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Chun Wang, SpaceX said it plans a launch as early as Monday evening, marking the first crewed mission to polar orbit and the first to cultivate mushrooms as a crop in space.
The three-to-five-day flight is to be lofted into space by a Falcon 9 booster. The mission is named after the Fram, a steam-and-sail powered ship used by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen during his historic 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole. A four-person international team will crew the Fram2 mission: Wang from Malta; Jannicke Mikkelsen a film director and cinematographer from Norway; Rabea Rogges, an electrical engineer, robotic researcher and polar scientist from Germany, and Eric Philips, a polar explorer and private astronaut from Australia.
The polar orbit means the spacecraft will circle the Earth over the North Pole and Antarctica, unlike previous missions that orbited West-to-East, roughly parallel to the equator. Although astronauts have not flown in polar orbits before, such orbits are common for satellites conducting Earth observation and mapping, weather data collection and environmental monitoring because they cover the entire planet.
“The ionizing radiation dose will certainly be higher over the poles,” according to Kevin Lewis, a planetary scientist and associate professor at Johns Hopkins University.
“However, the dose rate is likely only a few times higher, and for a short-duration flight wouldn’t likely be a concern, outside of perhaps extreme solar flares,” he explains referring to sudden, intense explosions on the Sun that can send a stream of charged particles, X-rays and gamma rays speeding toward Earth.
Among the 22 studies and experiments planned for the short mission, one will capture radiation measurements inside the Dragon spacecraft and assess individual radiation exposure levels of each crew member.
Another study, carried out on behalf of FOODiQ Global, will attempt to cultivate oyster mushrooms aboard the capsule. Space nutritionist and FOODiQ Global CEO Dr. Flávia Fayet-Moore says that while mycelium has been grown in microgravity aboard the International Space Station, Fram2 marks the first time that mushrooms will be cultivated as a crop.
Fayet-Moore refers to mushrooms as “the perfect space crop,” explaining that “the way they grow and complement plant systems is really perfect for exploration missions to the moon and Mars.”
Mushrooms also have a natural ability to make vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light, “which is important for astronauts to counter bone loss in space,” she says.
Oyster mushrooms were selected for study because they are resilient, easy to grow and quick to reach maturity, she says.
Fayet-Moore jokes that about 20% of people say they don’t like mushrooms and that the astronaut selection criteria are already difficult enough without placing “must be willing to eat mushrooms on long-duration flights” to the list.
Liftoff for the Fram2 mission will occur from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch window opens at 9:46 p.m. ET on Monday, with additional opportunities for launch until 2:26 a.m. ET on Tuesday. If the launch is scrubbed, SpaceX may try again, beginning at 9:46 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Has the Billboard Hot 100 caught the Holy Ghost?
Brittany dives into the economy behind Christian contemporary music
Arizona woman to serve 8 years for identity theft scheme benefiting North Korea
Christina Chapman was sentenced to prison this week for her role in a scheme that the DOJ said used stolen American identities in order to help illegally employ North Koreans in U.S. companies.
Lawmakers seek to ban federal agents from wearing masks
ICE says its employees have good reasons to hide their faces from protesters who want to dox them online, but Democrats say masked federal agents evokes "secret police," and the practice should be banned.
Independent grocery stores have had a tough five years. SNAP cuts will make it harder
The bulk of sales for many independent grocers come from SNAP. Cuts to the program could leave some making hard decisions about their future.
Education Department says it’s releasing more than $5 billion in frozen grants
The grants fund a wide range of education programs, including migrant education, services for English language learners and adult education.
Are you a single mom? We want to hear from you about your challenges and life experiences
About 40% of all births in America are to unmarried women according to the U.S. Census. Are there situations and challenges that are unique to single moms? We'd like to hear about them.