Icebreaker “Noosfera” begins fifth Antarctic season
17.10.2025 - 14:04
The fifth Antarctic season of the Ukrainian icebreaker “Noosfera” has started – it should become a record in terms of the number of studies and cooperation with other countries.
On October 17, the flagship of the Ukrainian scientific fleet began its journey to Antarctica from Cape Town (South Africa), the National Antarctis Scientific Center reported.
The vessel is commanded by Ukrainian captain Andriy Starish. This season, more research is planned to be carried out on board the “Noosfera” than in previous voyages:
• oceanographers will study changes in currents and mysterious “heat waves” in the depths of the cold Southern Ocean;
• geologists will look for heat flows from the Earth’s core through the ocean floor and turn the “Noosphere” into a time machine, recreating the paleoclimate from bottom sediments;
• biologists will study the marine inhabitants of the Southern Ocean: phytoplankton, benthic animals and their reaction to climate change, and will count whales using artificial intelligence;
• meteorologists will again study “atmospheric rivers” using radiosondes;
• geophysicists will also do radiosondes, but of the ionosphere.
Most of the research is conducted in collaboration with foreign scientists. Cooperation with Antarctic programs of other countries is also expanding.
• Great Britain: for the first time, “Noosfera” will provide rotation of polar explorers and deliver cargo to the British Antarctic station “Rosera” (it is 300 km south of “Vernadskyi”, beyond the Arctic Circle).
• Mexico: joint oceanographic and biological research is planned within the framework of the First Mexican Antarctic Expedition, which is taking place in cooperation with Ukraine.
• Colombia: joint oceanographic research into the mechanisms of warming of the Southern Ocean will begin.
Previously started collaborations with Poland, the USA and the Czech Republic will also continue.
In addition, the “Noosfera” will traditionally deliver a seasonal expedition of technical specialists and scientists to the Vernadsky, and later will provide a rotation of annual expeditions.
Such a long Antarctic season of the vessel became possible thanks to international contracts, and not at the expense of the state budget. All joint research is also financed by foreign partners, the NASC noted.
Earlier, the NASC spoke in detail about the last season of the icebreaker “Noosfera”.
