Ukraine’s research vessel Noosfera has begun its sixth Antarctic season. This mission will expand both the geographical scope and range of research through international partnerships.
Noosfera is currently sailing from Cape Town, South Africa, where it has been based because of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, towards Antarctica. Captain Andrii Starish commands the vessel.
Its first stop will be Poland’s Arctowski Antarctic Station, where Noosfera will provide logistical support for constructing new buildings. The ice-class vessel will then head to Punta Arenas, Chile, to pick up the first group of Ukraine’s seasonal expedition team and supplies before sailing to Vernadsky Research Base. The Ukrainian station is expected to receive the expedition in early December.
This season’s programme includes a wide range of international research:
- The first Indonesian expedition will work aboard Noosfera and at Vernadsky, joining Ukrainian scientists on new geological, biological and oceanographic projects.
- Cooperation with Mexico, the United States and Czechia will continue.
- Two studies will take place under the EU-funded POLARIN project. One will investigate the airborne dispersal of microbial communities in polar regions, while the other will focus on carbon observing in the Southern Ocean.
- A major highlight will be a large-scale Ukrainian–Swedish expedition to the Weddell Sea, east of the Antarctic Peninsula. This marks the first expansion of Ukrainian polar research to this scale.
During the expedition, scientists plan to study extremophiles living around “black smokers”: deep-sea hydrothermal vents that discharge fluids at temperatures of up to 400°C. They will also search for cold-water corals and even a shipwreck. The team will continue research into atmospheric rivers and ocean currents.
As in previous seasons, Noosfera will also transport the incoming and outgoing year-round expedition teams to and from Vernadsky.
All joint research activities are funded by international partners and grants. The expansion of the research programme and geographical coverage therefore requires no additional funding from Ukraine’s state budget.
We are proud to continue advancing science and international cooperation despite Russia’s war of aggression, strengthening Ukraine’s place in the world. We are deeply grateful to Ukraine’s Defence Forces for making this possible
Between January 2022 and May 2026, Noosfera successfully completed five Antarctic seasons. Read more: Noosfera’s Antarctic missions.
Andrii Starish, Denys Matiushenko, Anton Nikonov and Volodymyr Udovenko.
