Research ship "Academician Fyodorov" leaves St. Petersburg on Tuesday carrying members of the 50th Russian Antarctic expedition (RAE), announced the press service of the Research Institute of Arctic and Antarctica.
90 scientists and specialists of the seasonal and wintering part of the expedition are heading for Antarctica. They will conduct research work at various Antarctic stations, "Vostok," "Progress," "Druzhnaya-4," "Mirny" bases, and from board the ship at seas along the route.
The research is conducted under a series of departmental programs, including the Federal target program "Global ocean." The tasks assigned to the expedition include the replacement of personnel and material supply of the permanent stations.
For example, the members of the expedition will build a site for geophysical and geological research at the seasonal field base "Druzhnaya-4" on Princess Elizabeth Land. They will also conduct research of Antarctic nature at "Novolazarevskaya," "Bellinsgausen," and "Progress" stations.
At the temporary closed "Molodyozhnaya" station and also at all active Antarctic stations the specialists of the expedition will perform a wide range of environmental protection tasks in accordance with the Protocol on Environmental Protection within the framework of the Treaty on Antarctica.
The members of the expedition are scheduled to continue works on a snow-ice airfield capable of receiving heavy transport planes at "Novolazarevskaya" station and construction works at the site of the wintering complex for the future Russian expeditionary center in Antarctica in the vicinity of "Progress" station.
In addition, the press service announced that RAE was planning to resume airlift supply of "Vostok" station for the first time in the last 15 years in order to allow the delivery of personnel and cargo directly to "Vostok" and "Bellinsgausen" stations, which are located far from the shore.
The 50th Russian Antarctic expedition will have finished its work in the beginning of May 2005, when "Academician Fyodorov" returns to St. Petersburg.
