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Viral: Astronaut captures breathtaking views of Antarctica from SpaceX's crew dragon for the first time in history; WATCH

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Antarctica is the coldest and most remote continent on Earth, and has always been an area of interest to scientists, explorers, and adventure freaks, as most of it remains largely unexplored due to Its harsh conditions and isolation, which also make it one of the most mysterious places on the planet.

Being covered almost entirely by ice, Antarctica still remains largely uninhabited, with no permanent human settlements, and only a few research stations scattered across its vast expanse. The continent is surrounded by treacherous seas, and its climate is one of extremes, with temperatures regularly plunging well below freezing round the year.

For centuries, the world had only imagined what lies beyond Antarctica's icy façade, but with the emerging technology, that mystery is slowly being unraveled. While the continent’s remote location has kept it mostly out of reach, progress in satellite imagery and space missions have given glimpses into this frozen continent.

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Recently, four private astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft have captured some amazing views of the icy continent from a polar orbit, opening up new ways for the people to experience this mysterious land from above.

The astronauts include cryptocurrency magnate Chun Wang, filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, and engineers Rabea Rogge and Eric Phillips, who are part of the first-ever human spaceflight to orbit Earth’s poles. This mission was launched aboard SpaceX’s Fram2 spacecraft, which allowed them to circle the planet from pole to pole, giving them the most exquisite views of Earth’s most remote regions. One of the astronauts, Chun Wang, shared a video that has gone viral online. In the footage, he shows us what Antarctica looks like from 460 km above the Earth’s surface.

“Hello, Antarctica,” Wang writes in the post. “Unlike previously anticipated, from 460 km above, it is only pure white, no human activity is visible,” he adds. These new visuals of Antarctica’s mysterious landscape and untouched beauty from space have surprised many.



The video was captured through the Dragon's Cupola, a panoramic glass dome on the Crew Dragon spacecraft, which gave the astronauts an unobstructed view of Earth and space.

It is for the first time in history that a crew of four people are getting a view of both the poles of the Earth with their eyes.

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Social media reactions poured in, where one individual commented, “This is incredible. Are you taking high-resolution photos as you pass and making them available for viewing? That mountain-looking region… I could look at details of that for hours.” Another responded with, “Absolutely incredible,” while a third simply wrote, “Amazing view from up there!” A fourth user shared, “Breathtaking! Thanks for sharing.”
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