Antarctica, the Laura Bassi mission: four months at the edge of the world to decipher the planet's past and future.

The scientific mission of the Italian icebreaker Laura Bassi, the centerpiece of the 41st expedition of the National Antarctic Research Program, has officially launched. The vessel, owned by the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, will remain in the waters of the Antarctic for approximately four months, conducting intensive scientific activities and providing logistical support to Italian bases, with particular attention to the Mario Zucchelli. The operation represents one of the most significant moments of the Italian presence in the polar seas, thanks to a combination of advanced technologies, multidisciplinary expertise, and international cooperation. It is particularly significant for the scope of the planned operations and the contribution it will make to understanding ongoing climate change. Italy, a stable presence in the Antarctic since the 80s, thus confirms its leading role in the international scientific network studying one of the planet's most fragile and crucial ecosystems.

The long journey from departure to arrival in the operational area

The Laura Bassi left Italy in early October, embarking on a approximately 50-day voyage through the Panama Canal and the entire Pacific Ocean. Upon reaching the port of Lyttelton, New Zealand, the ship completed final preparatory operations before heading south. There, it will join the South Korean icebreaker RV Araon, with which it will proceed in convoy to the edge of the ice pack and then to the Mario Zucchelli base. The return to New Zealand is scheduled for early March 2026, while the final return to Italy will take place in the second half of April, marking the conclusion of one of the most challenging missions in recent years.

A mission divided into two complementary phases

The ship's operations are organized into two distinct campaigns. The first, lasting 25 days, will be primarily dedicated to logistical support for the Italian Mario Zucchelli base and the transfer to the Antarctic continent of the precious ice cores collected as part of the international Ice Memory initiative, a project that aims to preserve climate "time capsules" for future centuries.

The second phase, lasting 58 days, will begin on December 30th. Thirty researchers will be on board, working on five scientific projects funded by the PNRA. This second campaign will involve geological, geophysical, oceanographic, and glaciological analyses with the aim of reconstructing past environments, understanding current processes, and predicting the Antarctic ice sheet's response to climate change.

Ice Memory: The Race to Save Climate History

Ice cores represent one of the most valuable scientific resources for studying the planet's climate past. Layer upon layer, the ice preserves tiny bubbles of air trapped for hundreds of thousands of years, true samples of the ancient atmosphere. The Ice Memory project was born from the urgent need to preserve this climate memory before global warming irreversibly compromises it. The Laura Bassi, with its ability to transport samples through extreme environments, plays a key role in transporting these samples from the collection area to conservation facilities. Each core is a unique, unrepeatable document, and delivering it intact to science means offering future generations the opportunity to reconstruct Earth's atmospheric history with ever-increasing precision.

Five projects to explore oceans, ice, and unknown seabeds

The research projects to be developed on board span diverse disciplines. The CSICLIC program focuses on processes occurring in newly deposited marine sediments, with a particular focus on the absorption and release of carbon dioxide. The DIONE project will reconstruct the climatic and environmental evolution of the Sabrina Coast continental margin since the Pliocene, a period when atmospheric conditions were similar to, but slightly warmer than, current ones. IOPPIERS will investigate past and present interactions between ice, ocean, and sediment in the Hillary Canyon, in the Eastern Ross Sea, with the aim of understanding the ice sheet's sensitivity to future climate change. MORsea will continue monitoring the historic network of marine observatories active in the Ross Sea since 1994, which are essential for understanding the state of the deep sea. Finally, MYSTERO will study enigmatic underwater reliefs of still unknown origin, tens of meters high and located between 400 and 1.200 meters deep, which could hold valuable information on marine circulation, benthic life and the geological history of the area.

A vessel designed for research in extreme seas

The Laura Bassi is not just a means of transport, but a symbol of Italian research's ability to operate in extreme environments. Indeed, the Laura Bassi is currently the only Italian icebreaker capable of operating permanently in Antarctica. Its dynamic positioning system allows it to remain stationary despite wind, ice, and currents, a prerequisite for scientific surveys. Its solid hull and powerful engines allow it to penetrate thick ice floes without compromising onboard operations. Equipped with laboratories, analysis areas, modular cargo spaces, and advanced scientific equipment, it is a true floating laboratory designed to obtain essential data and address unexpected events in one of the most remote areas on Earth. Purchased in 2019 with funding from the Ministry of University and Research, the vessel is 80 meters long and 17 meters wide, with a gross tonnage of over 4.000 tons.

A concerted effort by the Italian scientific community

The expedition is funded by the Ministry of University and Research and implemented as part of the National Antarctic Research Program. The National Research Council (CNR) is responsible for scientific coordination, ENEA is responsible for planning and logistics at the Antarctic bases, and the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics is responsible for the technical and scientific management of the Laura Bassi. Forty-four technicians and researchers are on board, supported by 23 crew members.

A key role in understanding the future of the planet

The activities planned for the coming months are not just a scientific exercise, but an investment in the knowledge needed to address the major issues of the present. Antarctica is a remote and inhospitable continent, but it is also key to understanding the future of the global climate. Laura Bassi and her team, through analysis, observations, and sampling, will contribute to building a data archive that can guide climate and environmental policies for the coming decades. At a time when climate change is one of the most pressing challenges, the Italian Antarctic expedition thus takes on scientific and strategic value of global significance.