Concordia – The 21st winter mission of the National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) has begun at Concordia, the Italian-French research station. The mission is funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research and carried out by the National Research Council (CNR). It is led by glaciologist Simona Grimaldi from the University of Catania, who oversees a team of 13 winterover members, including six Italians, six French researchers, and a British ESA physician.

At an altitude of over 3,000 meters, the team will spend the Antarctic winter in complete isolation, facing temperatures as low as -80°C, while managing 14 scientific projects across various fields, including cryosphere studies, climatology, astrophysics, and space meteorology. Concordia also serves as a laboratory for space mission simulations, with ESA conducting seven biomedical research projects.

During the summer campaign, the fourth drilling phase of the Beyond EPICA – Oldest Ice project was completed at Concordia, reaching a depth of 2,800 meters and providing crucial historical climate data. Meanwhile, at Terra Nova Bay, the 40th PNRA summer mission concluded, involving 14 research projects and 140 participants. Studies focused on climate change, seismology, and Antarctic biodiversity. Additionally, at Zucchelli Station, the photovoltaic system was doubled, and work continues on improving the energy efficiency of research bases.