Chun Wang, co-founder of bitcoin mining pool f2pool and a well-known figure in the bitcoin community, is set to command SpaceX’s first manned space mission to explore Earth’s polar regions from orbit. Wang, who began mining bitcoin in 2011, said he has been enthusiastically preparing for this mission for the past 2.5 years and has been involved in every aspect of the mission, from the initial proposal and planning to trajectory design and crew selection.
“Named after the ship that helped explorers first reach Earth’s Arctic and Antarctic regions, Fram2 will be commanded by Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta,” SpaceX announced“Wang intends to use the mission to highlight the crew’s exploratory spirit, generate a sense of wonder and curiosity in the general public, and highlight how technology can help push the boundaries of Earth exploration and mission research.”
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Fram2 will be the first manned space mission to fly over and explore Earth's polar regions from orbit. Learn more about the twitter.com/framonauts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@framonautas mission here → https://t.co/3InB5ybsIx image.twitter.com/rZ2PCw0GlX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1823085132234039706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 12, 2024
“This mission represents a new chapter in space exploration,” Wang said. “I’ve read a lot of science fiction stories about the first human missions to Mars, usually led by NASA or some fictional government. Rarely does anyone dare to imagine that such a mission could be carried out privately. But now, I increasingly believe that one day we will reach Mars, and it may be a person or a company, not a nation, that will achieve it.”
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Let me quote Steve Jobs’ original iPhone announcement in 2007: “This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years. Every once in a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything.”
Yes, I was looking forward to this mission…
— Chun (@satofishi) twitter.com/satofishi/status/1823205567210660045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 13, 2024
On this mission, Wang will join an international team of adventurers, including Norway’s Jannicke Mikkelsen, Australia’s Eric Philips and Germany’s Rabea Rogge. For three to five days, the crew will observe the polar regions from the Dragon Dome at an altitude of 425 to 450 km. They will study phenomena such as auroras and unusual light emissions, known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), and conduct various research to better understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body and gain insights into space physics and atmospheric science.
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