OLATHE, Kan., April 1, 2025 — Garmin has announced that its fēnix® smartwatches are being used in the Fram2 human spaceflight mission, an all-civilian journey focused on studying the effects of space travel on the human body and mind.
Fram2, a polar orbit spaceflight led by SpaceX, marks a significant milestone as the first human mission to explore Earth's polar regions from orbit. The all-civilian crew, consisting of Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge, and Eric Philips, will conduct various scientific experiments over its three- to five-day duration. The mission aims to collect data on Earth's poles and investigate the physiological impacts of space travel, contributing to broader space exploration research initiatives.
According to Garmin, the smartwatches are tracking data like heart rate, blood oxygen levels (Pulse Ox), and energy levels (Body Battery™), all while reportedly running on a single battery charge.
The watch’s durability and health-monitoring features are said to make it suitable for scientific use in space. However, whether it performs as effectively under these extreme conditions as claimed remains to be seen.
The mission is supported by the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine, which conducts research so as to prepare humans for future space exploration. Fram2 is notable as the first mission to orbit Earth's polar regions and the second private spaceflight to integrate Garmin’s smartwatch technology for research purposes.
While this sounds promising, how much these consumer devices contribute to meaningful insights about space travel is unclear. Time, and space, will tell.
Source: Garmin
This article was generated with some help from AI and reviewed by an editor.
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