Four Trinity House Merchant Navy Cadets are joining Britain’s new polar research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough this week in the Falkland Islands on a four-month training deployment.
The UK is investing in modernizing its Antarctica and Arctic research facilities, with total funding of £670 million, including £290 million announced this week. As a world leader in polar science, UK research conducted in the region is of global importance. This is in addition to existing science funding activities.
This week RRS Sir David Attenborough visited South Georgia arriving at the upgraded wharf for the first time at King Edward Point marking a new chapter for polar science
RRS Sir David Attenborough (SDA) has collaborated with the cruise ship Le Commandant Charcot in its efforts to deliver critical science cargo to the English Coast, Antarctica in support of the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration.
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.
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.
Sailors from Ice Patrol HMS Protector paid tribute to legendary Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton – a century after he died pushing the boundaries of polar research. The crew of the icebreaker held a memorial service at his graveside on the island of South Georgia – the latest stop for the survey ship as she heads to the frozen continent for a summer of scientific research.
RRS Sir David Attenborough has completed the first leg of its journey to Antarctica, arriving in the Falkland Islands on 9 December. Since the draft of Britain’s new polar ship is too large for it to berth in Stanley harbor, so the ship will anchor north of the Narrows at Port William. However, the ship is visible from vantage points around the coastline.
Britain’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David Attenborough, departed the UK this week for its maiden voyage to Antarctica. She left Harwich on Tuesday, with 66 crew and personnel on board, for a short stop at Portsmouth to take on fuel before departing the UK by 18 November.
UK and Australia’s two new polar research ships got together off the coast of Falmouth in July during sea trials in preparation for their first Antarctic missions. The state-of-the-art Falklands flagged RRS Sir David Attenborough and RSV Nuyina will enable scientists to understand changes in our planet’s climate, oceans and marine life.