Elements

In 2025, humans will orbit over the poles of the Earth for the first time. Four astronauts will travel onboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, spending a few days in orbit while conducting science, public affairs events, and technology demonstrations. All the crewmembers are accomplished polar explorers with various backgrounds. They call their mission Fram2, after the polar exploration ship Fram. 

Built in 1892, Fram was designed to freeze, using a rounded hull to “float” on top of the sea ice throughout the winter. Norwegian for “Forward”, Fram was used for three polar expeditions: one, led by Fridtjof Nansen in an attempt to reach the North Pole; a second, led by Otto Sverdrup, which charted a massive section of the Northwest Passages and charted the islands now known as the Sverdrup Islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago; and a third, led by Roald Amundsen, on the first expedition to reach the South Pole. 

This project pays homage to Fram, and specifically the mission led by Otto Sverdrup, by using radio equipment onboard Fram2 to broadcast a signal on amateur radio frequencies that can be used for determining the position of the spacecraft and support terrestrial navigation. These signals will be collected from radio equipment on Axel Heiberg Island in Canada (one of the islands discovered by Sverdrup nearly 150 years ago; and during the expedition to Svalbard. Caveat: the collection during the Svalbard expedition will only occur if the trip happens to align with the Fram2 mission, which is subject to change.