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SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience floats in the Pacific Ocean on April 4, 2025, after splashing down to finish the Fram2 astronaut mission.

Fram2 astronaut mission's West Coast splashdown opens new era for SpaceX

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX's Fram2 astronaut mission returned to Earth in the Pacific Ocean on Friday (April 4), marking a first for the spaceflight company.

Private Spaceflight
space capsule with four parachutes splashes down in the blue sea

SpaceX's private Fram2 astronauts splash down on Earth, ending historic polar orbit expedition

By Josh Dinner last updated

SpaceX's Fram2, the first crewed mission ever fly a polar orbit, splashed down today (April 4), returning four private astronauts to Earth.

Private Spaceflight
The four astronauts of SpaceX's private Fram2 mission over Earth's poles. From left: Chun Wang, Eric Phillips, Rabea Rogge and Jannicke Mikkelsen.

Watch SpaceX's history-making Fram2 astronaut mission return to Earth today

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX's Fram2, the first crewed mission ever to orbit Earth over its poles, will splash down today (April 4), and you can watch the action live.

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a space view of a landmass on earth neighboring a blue sea

SpaceX Fram2 astronauts see their Florida launch site from space as historic pole-orbiting mission nears its end (video)

By Josh Dinner published

SpaceX's Fram2 astronauts are sharing incredible views from the first human spaceflight to orbit Earth's poles, as their mission nears a conclusion.

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the south polar region of earth as seen from a spacecraft in polar orbit

SpaceX Fram2 astronauts see 'pure white' Antarctica from polar orbit: Space photo of the day

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

Fram2 crew was surprised to not see any evidence of human activity at the South Pole from 285 miles above.

Private Spaceflight
Four astronauts in spacesuits are strapped in their seats aboard a space capsule as a plush polar bear doll floats by a window (with an inset showing detail on the doll)

Plush polar bear with penguin art floats as Fram2 zero-g indicator in polar orbit

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

The first astronauts to enter a polar orbit chose the obvious animal to serve as their zero-g indicator: a plush polar bear. The doll also has an emperor penguin embroidered on its chest.

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a rocket-shaped patch featuring a rocket logo between six silhouettes and the label "NS 31"

Katy Perry, Gayle King blast off on star-studded all-female Blue Origin rocket launch on April 14

By Brett Tingley published

Blue Origin has announced an April 14 liftoff date for its star-studded, all-female NS-31 mission launching on its New Shepard rocket.

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a shower of sparks passes from the bottom of the image to the top, while ceramic sides of a spacecraft capsule can be seen at the left and right edges

Feel the burn with this amazing video of a Varda space capsule's plunge through Earth's atmosphere

By Andrew Jones published

The final two minutes of the video show things really heating up.

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A giant silver SpaceX rocket launches on Flight 8 from a Texas seaside launch pad

SpaceX loses Starship rocket stage again, but catches giant Super Heavy booster during Flight 8 launch (video)

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX managed to catch the Super Heavy booster on Starship's eighth test flight today (March 6), but the vehicle's upper stage was lost about nine minutes after liftoff.

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a view of spacecraft attached to a spacex rocket, including odin asteroid probe, athena moon lander and more

Hope is all but lost for private asteroid probe in deep space — 'the chance of talking with Odin is minimal'

By Mike Wall published

AstroForge says there's no real hope of reestablishing contact with its Odin probe, the first private spacecraft ever to fly beyond the moon.

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