Antarctica

• Tuesday, January 4th 2022 - 05:57 UTC

  Polar Preet has arrived safely at the South Pole, first woman of color to achieve such a feat

  

  A British Army captain has made history by becoming the first woman of color to cross Antarctica unsupported. Captain Harpreet Chandi has arrived safely at the South Pole after a 700-mile trek in 40 days.

• Monday, January 3rd 2022 - 09:50 UTC

  Belgian station in Antarctica hit by COVID-19 infections

  

  Although Project Manager Joseph Cheek said the situation was “not dramatic,” at least 16 of the 25 workers at Belgium's Princess Elisabeth polar station have tested positive for COVID-19 and the whole staff will remain isolated until Jan. 12, it was reported.

• Thursday, December 30th 2021 - 09:50 UTC

  Ushuaia Logistics Pole to compete with Falklands and Punta Arenas as Gate to Antarctica

  

  Argentina's Antarctica Logistics Pole to be built in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, at the current naval base will be totally financed, managed and autonomous, no strings with any of the leading powers in the ice continent and intended to compete with the Falkland Islands and the Chilean complex of Punta Arenas, as the gate to Antarctica.

• Tuesday, December 28th 2021 - 09:43 UTC

  HMS Protector breaks polar record and involved in scientific research on penguins and climate change

  

  Icebreaker HMS Protector has broken a record, becoming the first Royal Navy ship to enter both polar circles within the same year. The Navy's only icebreaker, Protector left Plymouth in August for Antarctica, – her first visit to the frozen continent since 2019.

• Monday, December 27th 2021 - 20:45 UTC

  Argentina to set up Antarctica observatory to look for exoplanets

  

  Argentina will install an observatory at the Belgrano II base in Antarctica, 1,300 kilometers from the South Pole, which will be operated from Buenos Aires. The automated telescope will be used to detect exoplanets and other celestial bodies which are difficult to watch from other latitudes, it was announced.

• Wednesday, December 22nd 2021 - 08:27 UTC

  British veterans on an Antarctica five week trek; Polar Preet ahead of schedule in her solo to the South Pole

  

  A group of British military reservists and veterans has set off on a five-week trek across Antarctica to carry out climate change research. The eight-strong team is heading to an area of the continent that has never been explored.

• Tuesday, December 21st 2021 - 09:17 UTC

  BAS 2021/22 Antarctic summer field season underway; Rothera/Falklands air link twice a week

  

  Science and support teams from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are gearing up for the start of the Antarctic summer field season. All five BAS research stations will be open and undertaking essential science research after a year’s break caused by Covid-19 last season. This will be another challenging season with ongoing Covid-19 protocols to maintain safety for our staff and collaborators.

• Monday, December 20th 2021 - 09:31 UTC

  NASA keeping track of two British explorers in Antarctica collecting info on survival on Mars

  

  The US space agency NASA is tracking two British explorers on a 3,650 kilometers journey across Antarctica to learn more about humanity's ability to survive on Mars. Explorers Justin Packshaw,57, and Jamie Facer Childs, 37 are on an 80-day trek across the southernmost continent as part of the Chasing the Light mission — a grueling expedition that could give a better understanding of the psychological and physical impact of other worlds on the human body and mind.

• Saturday, December 18th 2021 - 09:39 UTC

  Falklands flagged Sir David Attenborough reaches Rothera Station in Antarctica

  

  Britain’s new polar research vessel, Falklands' flagged RRS Sir David Attenborough, has travelled to Antarctica on its maiden voyage, with its first call on Friday at Rothera Research Station – the UK’s largest Antarctic research station on the continent.

• Wednesday, December 15th 2021 - 09:48 UTC

  Argentina's Petrel Base in Antarctica to be reopened permanently

  

  Argentina's Defense Minister Jorge Taiana has announced the Petrel Base will be reopened following repairs as he oversaw the commencement of this season's Summer Antarctic Campaign.