A SpaceX spacecraft carrying four astronauts is on a pioneering journey circling Earth over its poles after launching Monday night from Florida.

The international all-civilian Fram2 crew is the first in space history to fly to orbit with no licensed pilot or trained astronaut on board.

The Falcon 9 flew right into a 90-degree circular orbit. In the 64 years of humans launching to space, this has never been done. Now this record-breaking crew will spend three to five days in orbit circling above the North and South Poles before splashing down off the coast of California − another first for SpaceX human spaceflight.

A crew of four international spacefarers on a private mission will soon seek to become the first humans to travel over Earth's poles.