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South Pole: the new expedition of explorer Jean-Louis Étienne
South Pole: the new expedition of explorer Jean-Louis Étienne – (France 2)
With his Polar Pod project, Jean-Louis Étienne wishes to study the Southern Ocean. Before that, the explorer sets out to sea with his boat, called “Perseverance”, which is designed for ice.
Jean-Louis Étienne has designed a new sailboat, called “Perseverance”, to sail in the most extreme conditions, around the South Pole. “It’s a boat that was built for very big seas, it’s made for ice”, explains the explorer. During the tests, the boat must face the Drake Passage, a 1000 km mouth, located between Cape Horn and Antarctica.
Continuous analyzes with the laboratory on board
“The idea of these navigations is to see how far we can go before it breaks, but without breaking”, says Daniel Cron, captain of the boat “Perseverance”. The boat must also allow the work of scientists on board. In a laboratory, the current, weather and composition of seawater are continuously analyzed. To study this ocean, Jean-Louis Étienne imagined the Polar Pod, a vertical ship, still under construction, which will drift around Antarctica thanks to the current. “Perseverance” will have to refuel the Polar Pod in all seasons and in the worst conditions.
