Polar research ship soon to be expected

carouselA new polar research ship will be constructed starting from autumn 2016 by British shipyard Cammell Laird, which was selected in a global competition among  international competitors: once delivered – expected in 2019-, the research vessel, featuring the Rolls-Royce design UT 851, will focus on climate and ocean related issues.
The new polar research ship will be operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), thus available to the whole UK research community, including for postgraduate training. The entirely British designed, built and operated vessel will keep UK at the forefront in climate and ocean research.
Her destinations include both Antarctica and the Arctic, where she will be able to endure up to 60 days in sea-ice: a two-months stay at sea will enable scientists to work in close contact with the polar ices and for longer periods upon themes that naturally evolve in seasonal timing.
Being the first British-built polar research vessel with a heli-deck, it will also allow scientist and crew to move during their stay onboard, improving communications.  The new polar research ship will be one of the most sophisticated floating research laboratories operating in the Polar regions.
The vessel will be equipped with robotic submarines and marine gliders, which will collect data on ocean conditions and marine biology, easily and safely delivering such precious information to scientists working in the ship’s laboratories. Also, airborne robots and on-board environmental monitoring systems will provide detailed information on the surrounding polar environment.