Four space tourists launched by SpaceX entered Earth’s polar orbit on Wednesday, the first time humans have circled the planet over the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
The crew were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from a California spaceport on Tuesday and are set to spend three to five days aboard a free-flying Dragon capsule orbiting the planet’s remote high-latitude zones on the Fram2 mission.
They will carry out 22 human health experiments in microgravity, including taking the first X-ray in space, and attempt to grow mushrooms.
The mission is another of SpaceX’s commercial space missions that are redefining who can access orbit beyond government-trained astronauts.
Mission commander Chun Wang, a Maltese entrepreneur originally from China, has funded the mission and led the planning and design of Fram2.
Overcoming motion sickness
“The ride to orbit was much smoother than I had anticipated,” Mr Wang wrote on X on Wednesday.
“The first few hours in microgravity weren’t exactly comfortable. Space motion sickness hit all of us – we felt nauseous and ended up vomiting a couple of times. It felt different from motion sickness in a car or at sea.
“You could still read on your iPad without making it worse. But even a small sip of water could upset your stomach and trigger vomiting.”
Mr Wang selected the crew for the flight: Jannicke Mikkelsen, a cinematographer and explorer from Norway, Australian polar guide Eric Philips and German-based adventurer Rabea Rogge.
“By the second morning, I felt completely refreshed,” Mr Wang added. “The trace of motion sickness is all gone. We had breakfast, took a few X-ray images, and opened the cupola three minutes after midnight UTC – right above the South Pole.”
The crew was flying 460km above Antarctica by Wednesday afternoon, when Mr Wang posted a video of the striking scenery. “Hello, Antarctica. Unlike previously anticipated, from 460km above, it is only pure white, no human activity is visible,” he said.
Satellites often use polar orbits because they pass over almost every part of the Earth, making them ideal for collecting global data, especially for environmental monitoring. But it requires more fuel for humans to fly this orbit.
Fram2’s Dragon capsule was placed in polar orbit at an altitude of between 425km and 450km, allowing the crew to observe phenomena that are not typically visible from equatorial orbits, such as aurora-like light emissions over the poles.
It is the sixth private orbital mission launched by SpaceX. A previous one, Polaris Dawn, included the first spacewalk by a space tourist. Jared Isaacman, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to be the next Nasa administrator, led that mission.
Pushing boundaries
Anna Hazlett, founder of Dubai space advisory firm AzurX, said Fram2 is “pushing the boundaries” of the kind of spaceflights private crews can embark on.
“Flying a private crew to Earth’s polar region for the first time not only expands operational experience in extreme environments but also lays the groundwork for future missions involving polar orbital research, Earth observation and even potential deep-space operations,” she told The National.
“This demonstrates how commercial space capabilities continue to evolve, opening new ways for exploration and scientific collaboration.”
Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of the advisory firm Bumi & Space, told The National that the mission was a “turning point for space research”.
“Fram2 feels like the space version of that moment Airbnb let you sleep in a castle or a treehouse – except now it’s orbiting Earth via the poles in a SpaceX capsule,” he said. “The fact that a roboticist, a crypto guy and explorer, a doctor and a filmmaker are circling Earth’s poles right now sends a pretty loud message: space is opening up to all.
“It's becoming a sandbox for storytellers, tinkerers and yes, still, the science nerds. And honestly, the view from the top might be just what we need to remind us how small and yet collaborative this whole thing really is.”
Fram2 is named after the Norwegian ship Fram, which was used in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
ANDROID%20VERSION%20NAMES%2C%20IN%20ORDER
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Oppenheimer
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The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Naga
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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The%20specs
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Jawan
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
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UAE%20Warriors%2045%20Results
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
