On January 3, 2026, China’s polar icebreaker Xuelong set sail for Lyttelton Port in New Zealand after completing its tasks at Qinling Station on its 42nd Antarctic scientific expedition. 🚢❄️
At Qinling Station, the team rotated 38 experts onto the ice and welcomed 11 crew members back aboard. They unloaded about 1,450 tonnes of scientific gear, logistical supplies, engineering materials and fuel, and loaded roughly 500 tonnes of station waste for return to the mainland. 🧰🔬
Before that, Xuelong made a stop at South Korea’s Jang Bogo Station to transfer 21 expedition members—who will rejoin the ship later in Lyttelton. 🌐✈️
In Lyttelton, the icebreaker will restock supplies and swap out crew: 34 new expedition members will join before Xuelong heads south to the Amundsen Sea for oceanographic mapping and climate monitoring. 🌊🧭
Organized by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, this expedition focuses on optimizing Qinling Station’s infrastructure, conducting wide-ranging scientific surveys, tackling major R&D projects, and testing domestically produced equipment in extreme conditions. 🔬⚙️
Stay tuned as Xuelong presses on with its polar adventure! 🌟
Reference(s):
Chinese icebreaker heads to New Zealand for resupply, crew rotation
cgtn.com
