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Second expedition on North Pole ice-resistant platform departs from Murmansk

The expedition is due to finish in 2026 - despite this planned long term in the Arctic, several participants of the previous expedition have chosen to join North Pole - 42 after just a little more than three months on the Mainland

ST. PETERSBURG, September 16. /TASS/. The North Pole - 42 drifting polar expedition on the North Pole world's only ice-resistant self-propelled platform started from Murmansk. Traditionally, the expedition flag was raised on the platform, and then leader of the previous expedition, North Pole - 41, Kirill Filchuk, greeted the audience, a TASS correspondent reported.

"You will make another step on this difficult path - your tasks are no less difficult and important than those the first expedition faced," he said. "I wish you success, may the people be healthy and the equipment reliable. And another wish, probably unexpected for ships engaged in ice navigation, but quite traditional for drifting stations - have strong ice."

The new expedition's route will be similar to that of North Pole - 41 - from Murmansk through the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea, and then, north of the New Siberian Islands, the vessel will freeze into an ice floe, with which it will be drifting for several months. Scientific work will be both in a camp, set up right on the ice floe, and on board the ship in specially equipped laboratories. The expedition is due to finish in 2026 - despite this planned long term in the Arctic, several participants of the previous expedition have chosen to join North Pole - 42 after just a little more than three months on the Mainland.

"I've decided to take part in this expedition because our geological team needs a person experienced in work on the platform," said Sergey Malyshev, a leading geologist who had participated in the North Pole - 41 expedition. "During that expedition, our skills reached perfection, and, not to start it all over again, and to cut time for related operations and to have more time for sciences, this is why I am here. During the past expedition, the platform demonstrated remarkable ice-moving qualities, thus I am looking forward to new scientific discoveries."

The North Pole is the world's first ice-resistant self-propelled platform, designed for year-round expeditions in the Arctic Ocean's northern latitudes. It does not require an icebreaker to sail to a designated area, it can drift for up to two years and return to port afterwards on its own. The platform can take on board Mil Mi-8AMT (Mi-171) helicopters. The vessel offers comfortable and safe operation when the air temperature is minus 50 degrees and humidity is 85%. The speed is at least 10 knots. The displacement is more than 10,000 tons. The vessel takes 14 crew members and 34 scientific personnel. The platform is equipped with an onboard scientific complex of 15 laboratories, a mobile field camp for accommodation on ice floes.

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