The R/V Laura Bassi returns to Lyttelton

The icebreaker Laura Bassi returns to the harbour of Lyttelton, New Zealand. The reason for the change of course was an incident on 16 December, about 300 miles south of New Zealand, when the Laura Bassi suffered a port engine failure. The crew then decided to return to Lyttelton harbour, from where the ship had left two days earlier.

Repairs are already planned and once completed, the ship will resume its planned activities as part of the 40th Italian Antarctic Expedition. This expedition is funded by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) as part of the National Antarctic Research Programme (PNRA). The programme is led by the National Research Council (CNR) for the scientific coordination, by ENEA for the planning and logistical organisation of the activities in the Antarctic bases and by the OGS for the technical and scientific management of the icebreaker Laura Bassi.