Saudi Gazette report

FLORIDA — Saudi Arabia’s Falak Space and Research nonprofit organization announced the successful launch of its pioneering space research mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday.

The mission, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 01:46 GMT, is heading into a polar orbit carrying Saudi research experiments designed to advance space medicine.

Notably, it is the first Arab-led research mission to space conducted by a non-profit organization.

According to Falak, the mission aims to redefine eye health protocols for astronauts through its high-quality scientific outputs.

The research could have broad implications for future long-duration space travel, including missions to Mars.

The special mission, named "Fram2," is crewed by four astronauts from diverse backgrounds: mission commander and crypto entrepreneur Chon Wang, Norwegian film director Janicke Mikkelsen, Australian polar explorer Eric Philips, and German robotics researcher Rabia Ruge.

Over the course of the three- to five-day mission, the team will conduct over 20 scientific experiments. These include the first X-ray photography in space and mushroom cultivation in microgravity — studies expected to contribute to the development of future interplanetary missions.

The capsule will orbit both the North and South Poles, adding a new dimension to the experiment environment.