Just hours after launching the Fram2 mission with four astronauts, SpaceX has unveiled the first-ever images of Earth’s polar regions taken from space.

The Crew Dragon capsule, Resilience, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying a diverse team of spaceflight rookies. The mission is led by Maltese entrepreneur and cryptocurrency magnate Chun Wang, with Norwegian vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, German pilot Rabea Rogge, and Australian medical officer Eric Phillips.

This groundbreaking mission aims to study Earth’s polar regions while conducting 22 scientific experiments over three to five days.

Elon Musk emphasized the mission’s significance, stating, “This marks the first time humans have orbited over Earth’s poles.”

Fram2 offers unprecedented views of remote areas, including the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps. The crew will document polar phenomena such as auroras and shifting ice formations, contributing critical data to climate research.

Following liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster successfully landed on a droneship in the Atlantic, while Resilience entered a polar orbit, allowing the crew to circle both poles within an hour—an entirely new perspective for human spaceflight.

Beyond Earth observations, the crew will conduct pioneering experiments, including the first X-ray imaging in space and research on growing mushrooms in microgravity, paving the way for advancements in space health and future deep-space missions.