The Ukrainian research vessel Noosphere has docked in a port in Chile, having covered more than 2,000 kilometers in 9 days. The flagship sailed through 10-meter waves and 30 m/s winds, and Captain Pavlo Panasyuk called the journey one of the most turbulent in the ship's history. This was reported by the National Antarctic Research Center, UNN reports.
Details
The journey from Akademik Vernadsky station to Chile was 1140 miles (2111 km) long and took 9 days. For three of them, Noosphere passed through the Drake Passage, which this time was very wayward. The waves were 9-10 meters high and the wind speed was 30 m/s.
According to Captain Pavel Panasyuk, it was one of the most stormy Drakes for the entire time the vessel has been operating under the Ukrainian flag. "It is not easy to sail in such conditions, but our crew coped with this challenge.
Noosphere transported participants of two Ukrainian Antarctic expeditions to Punta Arenas:
- winter - the 28th UAE, which worked for a year at Vernadsky;
- seasonal, who performed tasks at the station for several months.
Also, while the ship was in Антарктиці🇦🇶, biological, geological, and geophysical research of the Southern Ocean was carried out from its board, in particular, as part of international projects.
Addendum Addendum
In the near future, the Noosphere will set sail for the Antarctic again to ensure the rotation of polar explorers at the Polish station Arttowski. This is the third year of fruitful cooperation between the Ukrainian and Polish Antarctic programs: since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Poland has refused to use Russian vessels.
Then the icebreaker will return to the port of Cape Town (South Africa), where it will stay until the next Antarctic season.
We remind you
Noosphere is currently in its third Antarctic season. It began on November 17, 2023, when the ship left the port of Cape Town for the icy continent. It delivered cargo and expeditions to the Artsovsky and Vernadsky stations.
The second voyage of this season started on March 15, 2024, when the ship departed from the port of Punta Arenas to Vernadsky for a change of annual expeditions to the station and research in the Southern Ocean.