Bidding farewell to their homeland, crossing the equator, traversing the Roaring Forties, and embarking on an 80,000-nautical-mile voyage... On the morning of November 1st, the 42nd Chinese Antarctic Expedition, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, set off from Shanghai for Antarctica.
The distant Antarctic, with its repeated voyages, what mysteries will humanity uncover about this enigmatic icy continent?
"Continuously enhancing our ability to understand, protect, and utilize Antarctica is not only an inevitable requirement for China to build a maritime power, but also a new contribution to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," said Long Wei, deputy director of the Polar Research Office of the State Oceanic Administration.
The "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, made clear arrangements for enhancing the ability to manage the ocean, promoting high-quality development of the marine economy, and accelerating the construction of a maritime power, emphasizing "strengthening the support and guarantee system for deep-sea and polar expeditions."
What cutting-edge experiments were conducted during the 42nd Antarctic expedition, which sailed 80,000 nautical miles?
—Clean drilling and sampling were carried out into the 3,000-meter-deep ice layer.
"During this expedition, my country plans to conduct its first scientific drilling experiment on lakes deep within the Antarctic inland ice layer, using domestically produced hot water drills and thermal fusion drills to carry out clean drilling and sampling operations on ice layers exceeding 3,000 meters in depth," said Wei Fuhai, leader and chief scientist of China's 42nd Antarctic expedition.
Experts in charge of the experiment explained that Antarctic subglacial lakes possess extreme environmental characteristics such as high pressure, low temperature, darkness, and oligotrophic conditions, and have extremely unique ecosystems containing rich information on ice sheet history and climate change. Conducting research on Antarctic subglacial lakes is of great significance for understanding sedimentary processes and the evolution of life.
In order to further enhance our understanding of Antarctica's role in global climate change, and in response to national needs and the forefront of global science and technology, this year's expedition team will conduct long-term observational data in typical sea areas such as the Amundsen Sea and the Ross Sea, focusing on the impact of climate change on the Southern Ocean ecosystem.
—The Qinling Station's intelligent warehouse has achieved unmanned management.
Connecting East and West, uniting North and South. On February 7, 2024, the Qinling Station, named after the ancestral vein of the Chinese nation, officially opened, filling the gap in China's research in the Ross Sea region of Antarctica.
"This expedition will continue to improve the supporting facilities of Qinling Station, such as the research building and communication network, and further enhance the station's operational support and scientific research capabilities," said Wang Tao, assistant team leader and station chief of Qinling Station. "At the same time, it will continue to verify the reliability and adaptability of the domestically produced facilities and equipment that have been built, such as seawater desalination, wind power generation, and photovoltaic power generation."
Energy is the "lifeblood" of the Antarctic ice sheet. During the construction of Qinling Station, China applied a new energy system that integrates wind, solar, hydrogen, and energy storage for the first time, saving the station area more than 100 tons of fossil fuels annually. Even during the polar night, when there is no light or wind, the station can obtain approximately 2.5 hours of power, ensuring the short-term green operation of scientific research equipment and basic living facilities.
Zheng Di, project manager of the Qinling Station Antarctic project of China Railway Construction Engineering Group, introduced that the construction team will build and optimize intelligent warehousing and integrated intelligent management and control systems for materials at Qinling Station this year. "Among them, the intelligent warehousing system is the first to combine polar robots with an intelligent platform for intelligent warehousing, realizing unmanned management of the entire process and improving the efficiency of material circulation by 40%," he said.
— Domestically produced equipment demonstrates its capabilities in verification and application in polar regions.
The "Xuelong" series icebreakers explore the polar regions in pairs, and the "Xueying" series helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft soar through the polar skies... In recent years, the field of polar research has seen a continuous emergence of powerful transportation and mechanical equipment, fully demonstrating the country's comprehensive strength and becoming a hot topic among netizens.
This year, not only will my country's independently developed and manufactured "Snow Leopard" 6×6 wheeled vehicle and THT550 fully hydraulic high-power traction equipment be verified on-site in Antarctica, but also a number of new technologies, such as automatic observation and satellite remote sensing, ecological underwater mooring and krill multi-network system, will be applied and play a significant role in the icy world.
This Antarctic scientific expedition is also a more diverse international collaborative research effort.
Antarctica is a "temple" for scientific research. Conducting multidisciplinary observation, monitoring, and research in Antarctica, including marine, biological, chemical, atmospheric, and glacial studies, is not only a core mission of China's Antarctic expeditions but also a concrete manifestation of China's active implementation of the Antarctic Treaty's objectives, demonstrating China's willingness and capability to participate in international Antarctic governance.
The research team included over 500 members from more than 80 domestic institutions, as well as researchers from over ten countries and regions, including Thailand, Chile, Portugal, Hong Kong, and Macau, to conduct more diverse international collaborative research.
"This expedition will be jointly supported by the icebreakers 'Xuelong' and 'Xuelong 2,' and is expected to return to China after completing its mission in May 2026," said Long Wei.
The pursuit of knowledge knows no bounds. China's 42nd Antarctic expedition will embark on a new journey, inspiring more polar builders and researchers to set sail and write a new chapter in understanding, protecting, and utilizing the polar regions.