TRIESTE – Italy’s icebreaker Laura Bassi has departed the port of Lyttelton, New Zealand, officially launching the 41st expedition of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA).
Operated by Trieste-based OGS (National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics) and having left Italy in early October, the vessel reached the Pacific after 48 days of sailing via the Panama Canal.
In the coming months, the ship will sail in convoy with South Korea’s icebreaker Araon to break through the sea ice and reach the Mario Zucchelli Station. The mission includes a total of four months of operations in Antarctic waters, with 44 technicians and researchers on board, in addition to 23 crew members.
Work will be divided into two phases: the first will provide logistical support to the Italian base and transport to Antarctica the ice cores for the international Ice Memory project; the second will involve 30 scientists working on five projects funded by the PNRA. The return to New Zealand is scheduled for early March 2026, while the ship’s return to Italy will take place in the second half of April.
The expedition is funded by the Ministry of University and Research and implemented by the CNR for scientific coordination, ENEA for logistics at the bases, and OGS for the vessel’s technical and scientific management.
Laura Bassi’s updated route is available at laurabassi.ogs.it, where the bow-mounted webcam is also live.
