The research vessel Laura Bassi sets course for Antarctica again

The icebreaker Laura Bassi has resumed its voyage from the New Zealand port of Lyttelton to take part in the 40th expedition of the National Antarctic Research Programme after an interruption due to engine failure.

The ship, which is operated by the OGS, had originally set sail from Lyttelton Harbour on 15 December. On 17 December, it was forced to reverse course after a left engine malfunction occurred about 300 miles south of New Zealand. The captain then returned to the port of departure, where repairs began immediately.

On 3 January at 13:00 local time (1:00 on 3 January 2025, Italian time), the ship was able to continue its journey with 6 technical staff, a medical officer, a Colombian biologist and 23 crew members on board. The planned activities of the 40th Italian Antarctic expedition will not change significantly.

The expedition is funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as part of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA). It is led by the CNR for the scientific coordination, by ENEA for the planning and logistical organisation of the activities in the Antarctic bases and by the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker Laura Bassi.