This week the four remaining scientific teams for this season - EXPOSOILS, PASPARTOUT, NISAR, and EPFL-CRYOS - wrapped up their work and started preparing for their flight home, which is scheduled for Friday, February 14th.
Difficult Weather Hampers Return from Coast; Scientific Projects Forge Ahead
The cargo ship has been unloaded and the logistics team led by Alain Hubert has been caught in a storm on the way back to PEA. Meanwhile, the scientists continue their field work, which will finish by next week.
In Search for Million-Year-Old Ice, Belgian and International Scientists Return from Antarctica with First Clues
Belgian and international scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) have returned from Antarctica with samples and data that could help them determine where to find million-year old ice, which in turn can provide information about Earth’s climate in the past.
New Group of Scientists Begin Field Work While IPF Team Prepares for Arrival of Cargo Ship
With their safety training complete, this past week the newly arrived scientists headed out into the field to begin their field work while the IPF team prepared for the arrival of the cargo ship at the coast.
Belgian-led Team of Researchers Bring Back Impressive Haul of Meteorites during Antarctic research expedition
An international team led by Belgian scientists has recovered 115 Antarctic meteorites weighing more than 2 kg during the ongoing 2024-2025 BELgian Antarctic Research Expedition (BELARE).
While it is not uncommon for temperatures to rise above freezing in Antarctica in some places during the austral summer, temperatures above freezing are becoming more frequent than in previous years.
First Hydrogen Production at PEA Shows IPF's Focus on Future
While the scientists and all of the IPF staff who support their work in the field concentrate on doing the best science possible, the team of engineers, technicians, and mechanics are also hard at work on a number of new projects.
Back in January, the International Polar Foundation teamed up with the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education at the University of Colorado Boulder to co-host “Live from Antarctica 2.0” direct from the Princess Elisabeth Station. The entire recording of the event is now available to watch online.
“22nd Century” Polar Research Station Will Be Focus of First Antarctic Futures Symposium in Luxembourg
The International Polar Foundation (IPF), the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), and the House of Sustainability at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce will convene the first Antarctic Futures Symposium on April 23rd - 24th, 2026 at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce. It will mark a significant milestone in the development of the IPF’s next ambitious flagship initiative: the establishment of the Andromeda Earth Observatory in East Antarctica.
Now that the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica has been closed for the season and the remaining members of the BELARE team have arrived in Cape Town, the 2025-26 season has officially come to an end.
The time has come to focus on preparing the Princess Elisabeth for winter mode to make sure the station is able to run autonomously until the team returns in November. Departure is scheduled for Thursday, February 12th.
With the scientists and several crew members having returned home, the attention of the remaining thirteen team members at the station turns to the many tasks they must complete before the end of the season. The next couple of weeks will be packed!
After one month in Antarctica collecting samples and data at the Princess Elisabeth and in the field, the scientists who came to the station this season will be departing on the next flight along with several members of the crew.