When astronauts aboard Fram2 enter a polar orbit on March 31, they’ll become the first crewed flight to orbit Earth over its polar regions. This unique trajectory exposes them to higher levels of cosmic radiation, particularly over the poles where Earth’s magnetic field provides less shielding.
Because of this, the mission presents an unprecedented opportunity to study how space exploration impacts human health, says UCF’s Emmanuel Urquieta, a renowned space medicine expert and vice chair of space medicine at UCF’s College of Medicine.
“The radiation profile and composition could be comparable to what astronauts faced during the Apollo missions,” Urquieta says. “But 50 years ago, we lacked the technologies to understand in detail the long-term health consequences. Today, with genetic sequencing, molecular diagnostics and our understanding of gene expression, we can uncover so much more.”
To monitor and mitigate radiation risk, the Fram2 crew will wear dosimeters to track real-time exposure levels. Additionally, the astronauts will use portable X-ray equipment to take the first-ever bone images in space — a milestone that will allow researchers to assess bone density loss and study the effects of weightlessness on the skeletal system.
Urquieta is an internationally recognized leader in space medicine and its impact on human health. UCF was founded to supply talent and research to our nation’s space program. With our location just 35 miles from Kennedy Space Center, “there couldn’t be a better place to study the health effects of human space flight,” he says.
With the rise of commercial space travel and NASA’s ambitions to return to the moon and eventually Mars, data from the Fram2 mission will be critical.
“These findings will help shape health strategies for future lunar and deep space missions,” Urquieta says.
As more people journey into space, the space medicine community is focused on health challenges, including radiation exposure, space motion sickness, and the impact of weightlessness on muscles and bones.
Launching March 31, Fram2 will carry a crew of two men and two women, including Eric Philips, a professional adventurer and guide known for leading ski expeditions to the North Pole and South Pole. The flight is named after a Norwegian ship that voyaged to the Arctic and Antarctic between 1893 and 1912. It’s the first launch to have humans travel in the polar orbit.
