SpaceX Plans "First Human Spaceflight To Explore Earth From Polar Orbit" 

With Boeing's Starliner stuck at the International Space Station, SpaceX is forging ahead, announcing that the "first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit" will launch later this year. 

"As early as this year, Falcon 9 will launch Dragon's sixth commercial astronaut mission, Fram2, which will be the first human spaceflight mission to explore Earth from a polar orbit and fly over the Earth's polar regions for the first time," SpaceX wrote in a press release. 

SpaceX said the Fram2 mission will be commanded by Chun Wang, an entrepreneur and adventurer from Malta.

Joining Wang will be Jannicke Mikkelsen from Norway, who will serve as vehicle commander; Eric Philips of Australia, the vehicle pilot; and Germany's Rabea Rogge, mission specialist. Musk's space company said, "This will be the first spaceflight for each of the crewmembers."

"Throughout the 3-to-5-day mission, the crew plans to observe Earth's polar regions through Dragon's cupola at an altitude of 425-450 km [249 to 264 miles], leveraging insight from space physicists and citizen scientists to study unusual light emissions resembling auroras," SpaceX noted. 

The company added, "The crew will study green fragments and mauve ribbons of continuous emissions comparable to the phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement), which has been measured at an altitude of approximately 400-500 km [249 to 311 miles] above Earth's atmosphere." 

Fram2 crew will also study how spaceflight affects the human body; this study includes capturing the first-ever X-ray image of a human in space. 

Returning to Boeing's stranded Starliner, NASA could soon decide to have SpaceX rescue the two-person crew on the ISS.