Key Takeaways
- Chun Wang became the first known Bitcoiner to enter space.
- He funded and commanded the SpaceX Fram2 polar orbit mission.
- The crew is conducting 22 experiments, including the first space X-ray and mushroom growth in orbit.
Chun Wang, co-founder of f2pool and stakefish, has become the first known Bitcoin holder in space after funding and leading SpaceX’s Fram2 mission.
The 42-year-old entrepreneur is currently orbiting Earth on a three-to-five-day mission passing over both poles, alongside a crew of three other private astronauts.
Watch Falcon 9 launch Fram2 and the @framonauts, the first humans to fly over the Earth’s polar regions → https://t.co/vSt6tffjPe https://t.co/P4tpoG5vKl
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025
Mission commander seat
Wang, who began mining Bitcoin when it was priced at just $1, purchased the mission’s “Mission Commander” seat and financed the entire flight aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience.
The mission launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 9:46 p.m. EDT on March 31 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
Fram2 mission overview
Fram2 is the first human spaceflight to orbit Earth over its poles.
Joining Wang are Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar explorer Eric Phillips.
The mission is named after the Fram, a historic Norwegian exploration ship.
Scientific experiments in orbit
During their time in orbit, the crew will conduct 22 scientific experiments, including growing mushrooms in microgravity and performing the first X-ray imaging of the human body in space.
A milestone in space travel
Wang, who now holds Maltese citizenship, said this would mark his 1,000th flight, following a history of long-distance travel including over 75,000 km by train in a single year.
His participation underscores the blending of private finance and human spaceflight.
Wang posted ahead of liftoff:
I’m watching a rocket launch on my way to a rocket launch.
