Aussie astronaut Eric Philips to make history with SpaceX launch

Cheers rang out in the control room in Florida as the powerful Falcon 9 rocket roared upward, lighting up the night sky with a long, orange plume of flame as the craft began its journey toward Earth’s North and South Poles.

Mr Philips is set to be the first Australian to enter orbit under the Aussie flag.

(Former NASA astronaut Andy Thomas, and Elaine Chia Hyde, who flew with Blue Origin in February, are both Australian and US dual citizens*.)

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, carrying the four first-time astronauts, lifted off from the launch pad in NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida Tuesday afternoon AEST.

It is the first space mission for Mr Philips, who has extensive experience guiding expeditions* to the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Named “Fram2” after the famed Norwegian ship built in the 19th century for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, the mission will feature a range of experiments including taking the first X-ray in space and growing mushrooms in microgravity*.

It’s hoped that the research will support future long-duration space travel to Mars.

“With the same pioneering* spirit as early polar explorers, we aim to bring back new data and knowledge to advance the long-term goals of space exploration,” said mission commander Chun Wang, the Chinese-born Maltese adventurer and crypto* company founder.

The team also includes vehicle commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, a Norwegian film director, and mission pilot Rabea Rogge, a robotics* researcher from Germany.

They trained for eight months in preparation for the approximately four-day trip, including a wilderness expedition in Alaska to simulate* living in close quarters under harsh conditions.

Upon returning to Earth, the crew will attempt to exit the spacecraft without additional medical support — part of a study to help researchers understand how well astronauts can perform basic tasks after spaceflight.

Except for the Apollo lunar missions*, Earth’s polar regions have remained out of view for astronauts, including those aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Even on Apollo, they did not fly directly over the Earth’s poles.

SpaceX has carried out five private astronaut missions to date — three in collaboration with Axiom Space to the ISS, and two free-flying in Earth orbit.

The first of these was Inspiration4 in 2021, followed by Polaris Dawn, which featured the first spacewalk by private astronauts.

Both free-flying missions were chartered* by billionaire Jared Isaacman, who has also been nominated by US President Donald Trump to serve as the next NASA administrator.

Isaacman is also a close associate of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

— with AFP

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GLOSSARY

• dual citizen: someone who holds nationality in more than one country
• expedition: journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose
• microgravity: condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless
• pioneering: being among the very first to do or use a particular new idea or thing or to travel to a new place
• crypto: a type of digital currency enabling people to pay each other using an online system
• simulate: to do or make something that looks real but is not real, often as a test
• Apollo lunar missions: Project Apollo was NASA’s space program in the 1960s and 1970s that included landing the first humans on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission, July 16-24, 1969
• chartered: temporarily leased or used exclusively by arrangement and usually involving payment

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QUICK QUIZ

1. The mission’s orbit is historic because it will include which two regions?
2. What will the crew attempt upon returning to Earth?
3. What are the regular day jobs of the four astronauts on this mission?
4. What are two of the experiments planned for the mission?
5. What is “Fram2” mission named after?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Space experiments
If you were lucky enough to experience space travel, which experiment or “first” would you like to carry out?

Outline your experiment idea below and explain why your “first” experience in space or experiment could be helpful for scientists or researchers as they plan future space travel.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
What additional medical support might the article be referring to that astronauts usually require when exiting a spacecraft after a mission?

What sort of effect might space travel have on a human body?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were one of the astronauts taking part in this historic SpaceX mission.

Create a conversation imagining you’re one of at least two astronauts mentioned in the article – or you may want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.