Saudi Arabia’s Falak Space and Research, a nonprofit organisation, has launched its pioneering space research mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This historic mission, which lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is now in a polar orbit carrying Saudi research experiments aimed at advancing space medicine.
Marking a significant milestone, this is the first Arab-led space research mission conducted by a nonprofit organisation. Falak Space aims to transform astronaut eye health protocols through its high-quality scientific research, with potential implications for long-duration space missions, including future Mars expeditions.
The special mission, named “Fram2,” is crewed by a diverse team of four astronauts: mission commander and crypto entrepreneur Chon Wang, Norwegian film director Janicke Mikkelsen, Australian polar explorer Eric Philips, and German robotics researcher Rabia Ruge. Over the course of the three- to five-day mission, the crew will conduct more than 20 scientific experiments, including the first X-ray photography in space and mushroom cultivation in microgravity. These studies are expected to contribute valuable insights for the development of future interplanetary missions.
The capsule’s trajectory will take it over both the North and South Poles, providing a unique experimental environment that enhances the scientific scope of the mission.
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