India has successfully launched the 41st Scientific Expedition to Antarctica with the arrival of the first batch of its contingent at the southern white continent. The first batch comprising of 23 scientists and support staff reached the Indian Antarctic station Maitri last week. Four more batches shall be landing in Antarctica by air using the DROMLAN facility and onboard chartered ice-class vessel MV Vasiliy Golovnin by mid-January 2022.
The team of 48 members at the 41st expedition is being led by Dr. Shailendra Saini, Scientist National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (Voyage Leader), and Shri. HuidromNageshwar Singh, Metrologist, India Metrological Department (Leader, Maitri Station) and Shri. AnoopKalayilSoman, scientist Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Leader, Bharati Station).
The Indian Antarctic program began in 1981 and has completed 40 scientific expeditions.
Currently, there are three permanent research base stations in Antarctica, named DakshinGangotri (1983), Maitri (1988), and Bharati (2012).