Ukrainian research icebreaker “Noosphere” on Saturday, April 29, arrived from the Antarctic to Cape Town (South Africa), completing the second Antarctic season, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine reports.
“From the icy continent to the “big land” the icebreaker brought 3 expeditions: the wintering team of the 27th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition, whose participants and participants worked at our station “Academician Vernadsky” during the year. These are scientists in geophysics, biology, meteorology, as well as the life support team; the seasonal detachment, which performed the task at Vernadsky during the Antarctic summer. These are scientists and technicians, participants in the Polish Antarctic expedition from the station “Artcovsky”, – is indicated in a message in Telegram-channel.
In total, the second season of “Noosphere” lasted 4 months and consisted of 2 parts.
Icebreaker “James Clark Ross” arrived under a blue and yellow flag at Odesa seaport on Tuesday, according to the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
“From Denmark to Ukraine through three seas, North, Mediterranean and Black, our handsome man was brought by two captains: Ukrainian captain Oleh Novosilny and British captain-mentor Simon Wallace,” the ministry said.
The department said that in the next weeks the paperwork and technical inventory of the vessel will be carried out. After that the official presentation of the icebreaker for the media will take place and its new name will be announced. Time is also planned for an excursion visit to the ship.
Ukraine acquired the British icebreaker James Clark Ross on August 19, and on August 30, the ship was officially handed over in the port of Frederikshavn (Denmark), and a blue and yellow flag was raised over it.
“Own oceanographic icebreaker opens up a whole range of new opportunities for Ukrainian science and scientists. First of all, it will allow: after a long break to return to the study of the World Ocean; solve logistical problems at the Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station and expand the possibilities of seasonal logistic consortia with other countries; conduct research not only in Antarctica, but also in the Arctic, and, if necessary, in other regions of the ocean,” the ministry said.
The Education Ministry also said that in 2021 the number of those wishing to work on the winter expedition at the Antarctic Akademik Vernadsky station increased by 30%.
