Antarctic Expedition Delayed Three Months
“The main reason for an almost 3-month delay was tardy government funding of the program of preparations for the fifth Antarctic trip.” Mr. Vashchenko added that the Horyzont, a former military reconnaissance vessel, had to be repaired and re- equipped for the polar voyage; funds had to be raised to procure rations, fuel, and other stores. “In all, the state budget had to allocate UAH 5.2 million for the maintenance of the Akademik Vernadsky Antarctic Station — thirty times less than the British Parliament’s annual subsidies for the Faraday Station, its former incarnation, before 1995. Yet even this was delayed; the lion’s share came after the government’s reorganization, when the Antarctic Center was transferred to the Ukrainian Ministry of Education.”
The Day: Won’t the Ukrainian researchers be exposed to greater risks? Considering that this time they are traveling onboard a vessel other than the traditional Ernst Krenkel L-1 Ice Class? The Horyzont is L-3 Class, isn’t she? And can its hull withstand perhaps an independent mission amidst small ice floes on non-Arctic seas?
V. V.: True, and we faced a dilemma when preparing for the trip: whether to rig a small vessel of the Horyzont type or put Ernst Krenkel in dry dock. In the latter case we wouldn’t be able to afford the entire research program. So we chose the Horyzont. We will have an experienced ship captain of the Yuri Gagarin research ship. If the ice condition proves too complicated we will wait for clear water somewhere en route or deliver the staff and equipment in some other way.”
According to the head of the expedition, two teams of researchers will set off for the southern latitudes onboard the Horyzont: 16 marine scientists and 12 polar explorers to spend the winter there, led by Yaroslav Kutsenko, who will relieve the current Akademik Vernadsky shift. All participants in the expedition were selected on a strictly competitive basis, as the vessel can accommodate up only to fifty researchers (the Ernst Krenkel is three times larger). Fuel will have to be purchased from one of the countries adjacent to the station, since the Horyzont can carry four times less stores than her predecessor. The fifth run is expected to deliver a seismic station and continue a series of magnetosphere, geophysical, ecological, and other studies. It is, of course, hard to predict how realistic are these scientific plans of our researchers of the southern seas. One thing is unfortunately clear: because of high officials, the fifth Antarctic expedition will have to work not only under an abridged schedule, but also in severe weather conditions; there will be piercing autumn winds, heavy storms, and mounting ice hummocks.
And one more thing: is it possible that government structures have plans to sell for token money the Ukrainian Ernst Krenkel, Breeze, V. Buhayev, and other research ships, after selling off the passenger fleet? And will no one be responsible for such adventuresome business as before?
