Antarctica: New winter expedition begins as 2020-21 summer campaign comes to a close
18/2/2021
The "Mario Zucchelli" station closure and the return to Italy of the 2020-21 expedition team marked the end of the 36th summer campaign of the National Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA), funded by the Ministry of University and Research with ENEA managing logistics and operations and the CNR coordinating scientific activities.
The end of the summer campaign marked the beginning of the 17th winter campaign at the Italian-French station "Concordia”. Until next November 2021, 12 people, 6 Italians from the PNRA, 5 French from the Polar Institute "Paul Emile Victor" (IPEV) and 1 Dutch physician of the European Space Agency (ESA) will remain in total isolation at the base, located on the Antarctic Plateau at a height of over 3000 m above sea level.
They will maintain the experimental equipment in operation and continue the ongoing research work of the French and Italian Antarctic programs, concerning studies of glaciology, chemistry and physics of the atmosphere, astrophysics, astronomy and geophysics. The studies on human adaptation in extreme environments, as foreseen by the projects of the European Space Agency (ESA), will also continue.
Most of the team members of the summer campaign returned to Italy today by plane from New Zealand, where the team had arrived from Antarctica aboard the Italian icebreaker vessel "Laura Bassi" of the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS). In addition to transporting personnel and material to and from Antarctica, "Laura Bassi" hosted on board 4 researchers from the Parthenope University of Naples, who conducted a downsized oceanographic campaign in the Ross Sea for the MORSea Observator.
Due to the severe limitations imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the usual number of expeditioners due to travel to Antarctica this season was cut to a total of 72 people - including 15 researchers and 57 logistics workers - 11 experts from Italian Armed Forces, 1 from the Fire Brigade and 6 Concordia winterovers.
Overall, maintenance and research activities were conducted as part of 31 science projects, including 13 Observatories concerning life, Earth, atmospheric and space sciences. Despite the reduced logistics staff, some major renovations were completed at the Italian base, including an extension of the canteen and living area, rooms renovation and modernization of the laboratories.
In order to keep Antarctica the only COVID-free continent, all personnel underwent a 14 days-quarantine and several swab tests and were then transferred with only two flights from the Australian city of Hobart (Airbus 319 of the Australian Antarctic Division), while 1 cargo flight transported material and food from New Zealand (Hercules C-130 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force).
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