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Science & Exploration

Winter at the Concordia research station in Antarctica

21/08/2013 188764 views 11 likes 296078 ID 00:04:45
English
  • MP4 [114.00 MB]
  • SOURCE M4V [238.39 MB]

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The long Antarctic winter is turning to spring at the Franco-Italian Concordia research station, which has resisted the brutal forces of nature about 1200 km inland on top of an icy plateau 3000 m above sea level. During winter, the Sun doesn't rise above the horizon for about three months, and temperatures can drop down to -80°C.  
This video shows the harsh but beautiful landscape around the station on one of the last sunny days in May and then how the darkness engulfed Concordia with its 12-strong winter-over team. Finally the Sun returned on 10 August - a memorable moment for the men and women who keep the station running and conduct the scientific work in those difficult, almost space-like conditions. 
The video was shot by Olivier Delanoe and it includes excerpts from the letters sent by Antonio Litterio to ESA's Concordia blog.

  • ESA
  • Exterior shot
  • Human Spaceflight
  • Concordia
  • Antarctic
  • Concordia base Ice Poles Snow Weather
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