Ukrainian NOOSFERA research vessel will set out for Antarctic in January

The Ukrainian NOOSFERA research vessel will set out for Antarctic in mid-January 2022, reports Militarnyi.

Ievhen Dykyi, Director of the National Antarctic Research Center told the correspondents of Suspilne.Odesa about the Ukrainian scientists’ trip to Antarctic.

The NOOSFERA research ship of the ice class, which is currently stationed in the port of Odesa, will leave for Antarctic in mid-January 2022.

According to Ievhen Dykyi, in a few days the ship will go to the Chornomorsk for maintenance and preparation for the trip.

The crew is almost ready. At the moment, it will be trained, afterwards we will decide which of the crew members will take part in the expedition with us and who will not. In fact we recruited this team only this week, said Ievhen Dykyi.

NOOSFERA is a former British research ship previously named James Clark Ross, the ship received its new name in Odesa on October 29.

On August 19, 2021 the Ukrainian National Antarctic Research Center and the British Research and Innovation Institution signed an agreement on purchase of the ship. On August 30, 2021 the Ukrainian flag was hoisted over the flagship of the new Ukrainian research fleet.

On September 18, 2021 the research vessel left Frederickshaven (Denmark) for Ukraine. Before going to sea, a lot of work was done on re-registration and insurance of the ship, new radio calls were received, etc. On October 3 James Clark Ross crossed the Bosphorus into the Black Sea and headed for Odesa.

NOOSFERA

On board the NOOSFERA are several laboratories for the study of seawater samples and soils from the bottom, the study of ocean flora and fauna and for conducting chemical experiments, recording climate change.

The crew of the icebreaker consists of 27 sailors. In addition, up to 50 scientists can work on board. Sailors and personnel are accommodated in compartments of four people each with their own bathrooms. There is a dining room and a lounge. Ievhan Dykyi says that such conditions do not exist on any national scientific ship.

Over the past 30 years, the ship has served as a global research platform for biological, oceanographic and geophysical research. Its length is almost 100 meters, displacement – 5732 tons.