Elon Musk’s SpaceX has embarked on a groundbreaking mission, sending four private astronauts on the first-ever human spaceflight to orbit the North and South Poles.
The mission, dubbed “Fram2,” is funded and led by Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur turned Maltese citizen known for founding the Bitcoin mining pool F2Pool.
Liftoff occurred at 1:46 am UTC on April 1 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew is set to spend between three and five days in orbit, making history as the first humans to traverse both poles while circling the Earth. Alongside Wang, the mission includes German polar scientist Rabea Rogge, Norwegian cinematographer Jannicke Mikkelsen, and Australian Arctic explorer Eric Philips.
Wang, a former Chinese citizen who became a Maltese citizen in 2023, has significantly contributed to the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. He founded F2Pool in 2013, the fourth-largest Bitcoin mining pool with nearly a 10% market share. In 2018, he further expanded his influence by launching Stakefish, an Ethereum staking pool provider that operates around 2,025 validators. His latest mission involves conducting 22 scientific experiments in space, including the first X-ray taken in space and research on mushroom growth in microgravity, aimed at enhancing understanding of human health and the effects of prolonged space travel.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule reached the South Pole within 30 minutes of launch, flying about 265 miles (430 kilometres) above Earth. It will complete a full orbit every 90 minutes. The mission will end with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off California, adding to SpaceX’s achievements in private space missions.
Meanwhile, A new project called Spacecoin.xyz plans to launch the first blockchain network that operates entirely via satellites, utilizing the Iridium satellite constellation. Their “blue paper,” released on November 1, outlines a strategy for creating a secure, censorship-resistant system less susceptible to denial-of-service attacks and disruptions affecting Earth-based networks.
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