One of the main tasks of this expedition is to build a new Chinese scientific research station here, which is also the first research station oriented towards the Pacific region.
The launching ceremony of China's 40th Antarctic expedition was held by the country's Ministry of Natural Resources at the China Polar Exploration Base in Shanghai.
According to the country's media, China's 40th Antarctic expedition team will depart on November 1, 2023 and return in April 2024, lasting more than 5 months.
This is the first time that the Antarctic exploration mission is supported by three ships, including the “Xuelong” and “Xuelong 2” departing from Shanghai, mainly carrying out scientific survey, personnel transportation and logistics supply missions; and the cargo ship “Tianhui” departing from Jiangsu Province, mainly carrying out the mission of transporting construction materials for the new scientific research station.
This survey team has more than 460 people from more than 80 Chinese units.
Design drawing of China's fifth Antarctic research station. (Photo: CCTV)
One of the three key tasks of this Antarctic expedition is to build a new scientific research station. The station is located in the Ross Sea coastal area of East Antarctica. It is China's fifth Antarctic research station, the third year-round research station after the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations, and the first research station facing the Pacific Ocean.
This station will conduct multi-layered, multi-disciplinary scientific observation, monitoring and research on the atmospheric environment, basic marine environment, biological ecology... After completion, this station is expected to be able to accommodate 80 people in the summer and 30 people in the winter.
The remaining two missions are to investigate the impacts and feedbacks of climate change on Antarctic ecosystems, and to implement international cooperation in scientific research and logistical support with a number of countries.
China is known to have sent its first expedition team to Antarctica in 1984 and established its first research station a year later. The country's four remaining research stations in Antarctica include Great Wall, Zhongshan, Kunlun and Taishan.
Bich Thuan (VOV-Beijing)
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