Chun Wang, a Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur, paid an undisclosed amount for the mission. Some satellites are already in polar orbit, and researchers called it a routine flight.
A SpaceX rocket blasted off Monday night from Florida, the first trip to put humans into an orbit that takes them over both of Earth’s poles.
A spacecraft orbiting over the poles can observe the entire planet as it spins underneath. The path is particularly useful for weather, mapping and spy satellites. With many of these satellites already in polar or near-polar orbit, researchers said that a mission sending humans around the poles was not especially remarkable from a scientific perspective.
Still, the mission, which SpaceX says will last three to five days, captured some attention. It was financed by Chun Wang, an investor who made his fortune in blockchain and cryptocurrency mining.
Mr. Wang paid an undisclosed amount and selected three people to accompany him. During the mission, called Fram2, the four private astronauts are orbiting about 270 miles above Earth in their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, passing over the North and South Poles multiple times a day.
Mr. Wang, 42, was born in Tianjin, China, and became a citizen of Malta in 2023. His spacesuit bears the flag of Malta.
Fram2 said in a release that the launch could “unlock new possibilities for human spaceflight and provide a deeper understanding about our planet and its polar regions.”
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