ULTIMO (UnLocking The scIentific potential of the Belgica MOuntains) is a multidisciplinary research project that investigates the unique geological, glaciological and extraterrestrial record preserved in the Belgica Mountains of East Antarctica. Led by researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), the project combines expertise from several scientific disciplines to better understand the history of our planet and the Solar System.

One of the project's main objectives is to recover and study meteorites preserved in Antarctica's blue ice fields. These meteorites provide invaluable information about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, while microscopic extraterrestrial particles offer additional insights into past cosmic events and the material from which the planets were formed.

ULTIMO also investigates the Antarctic ice itself. By analysing stable isotopes, modelling local ice flow and studying blue ice fields, researchers assess the potential presence of exceptionally old ice that could preserve climate records extending back more than one million years. In parallel, the project examines the geology and exposure history of the Belgica Mountains and their surrounding moraines to reconstruct the evolution of the Antarctic landscape.

Through this integrated approach, ULTIMO contributes to a deeper understanding of planetary formation, Antarctic geological history and long-term climate change, while expanding one of the world's most significant collections of Antarctic meteorites and extraterrestrial particles.