The 28th Ukrainian expedition group left for the Akademik Vernadsky station on March 18, the National Antarctic Science Center reported.
“Even in conditions of large-scale war, we must ensure continuous work of our only Antarctic station, because the results of the activities of Ukrainian scientists on the icy continent are important for the whole world. This is a whole range of the longest in Antarctica meteorological observations, study of climate change, space weather, magnetic field of the Earth and much more. There we are doing a global science of the 21st century and do not stop at all attempts of the enemy to throw us back into the 20th,” – said Director of the National Antarctic Science Center Eugene Wild.
It is noted that in the 28th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition there are 14 participants: nine scientists, three in each field of research, in particular, biology, meteorology and geophysics.
The scientists were joined by doctor, cook, sysadmin, system mechanic, diesel electrician.
The mission will work at the station for a year.
“The team was led by geophysicist Bogdan Gavrilyuk. He goes to Antarctica for the tenth time – it is the absolute record for the Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions. In his previous – 26th ATE – Bohdan was also a basecommander, and after his return in the spring of 2022, he immediately joined the Ukrainian Frontier Service”, – noted the center.
In addition, for the first time in the last five years, the expedition consists only of men.
“Unfortunately, only five women applied for this competition (last year – 19), but they did not overcome all the stages of the competitive selection,” – reported in the scientific center.
As noted, now the expedition members go to Poland, hence the flights to South America, where in the Chilean port of Punta Arenas future winterers are already waiting for the ship “Noosphere”. The icebreaker is supposed to deliver 28 UAE to the station and return 27 UAE, which has already worked in Antarctica for a year, to “the mainland”.
A shift change of Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions took place at the Akademik Vernadsky station, the Ministry of Education and Science reports.
“Even despite the war in Ukraine and the difficult global logistics due to COVID-19, on April 12, 2022, a change of Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions took place at the Akademik Vernadsky station. The 26th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition (UAE), having worked in Antarctica for a year, has gone home. Together with her, a seasonal detachment follows to Ukraine, which performed work throughout the Antarctic summer. At the same time, the station was accepted by the 27 UAE team, which will continue research and continuous measurements,” the press service of the ministry said in a statement.
It is noted that for the first time in 20 years, the shift change is provided by its own Ukrainian icebreaker Noosphere, which arrived at Vernadsky on March 30.
In addition to the winterers of the 27th expedition, the ship delivered to the station about 80 tons of various cargoes (an annual supply of food and household items for polar explorers, building materials, new equipment for station modernization), 140 thousand liters of fuel (annual supply), as well as the Vernadsky Autopark two snowmobiles and two new boats appeared, which are now used for unloading, and in the future – for marine research.
In addition, the team of scientists received a snowplow – in the previous 26 years, the polar explorers cleared the snow with their own hands.
“Note that all things were purchased last year and loaded onto the Noosphere before its departure from Odessa in January of this year (before the start of the war),” the message says.
The ministry said that at the moment, the Noosphere is on board with polar explorers to Chile, then the participants of the Antarctic expeditions will be delivered by plane to Warsaw, and from there – by land transport to Ukraine.
“Noosphere” will not return to Odessa until the end of the war, but will be based in one of the ports of the Southern Hemisphere,” the ministry emphasizes.
AKADEMIK VERNADSKY, ANTARCTIC STATION, POLAR EXPLORERS, SHIFT CHANGE
