The fourth Antarctic season of the Ukrainian research icebreaker Noosfera has recently concluded. After nearly five months of operations, the ship returned to its temporary home port in Cape Town, South Africa. Due to the ongoing Russian aggression, the Noosfera cannot yet return to its home port of Odesa.
The Noosfera is the flagship of the Ukrainian scientific research fleet. The 99-meter-long, 19-meter-wide ship has a displacement of 5,732 tons. It is equipped with laboratories and winch systems that enable seabed research at depths of up to eight kilometers. In addition to a crew of 27, the icebreaker can accommodate up to 50 scientists. The ship's operational autonomy of up to two months allows it to conduct research anywhere in the world's oceans.
This season — the fourth under the Ukrainian flag — the Noosfera team set a record with five voyages to the Antarctic, covering a total of more than 20,000 nautical miles (more than 37,000 kilometers).
For this mission, the ship was captained by two Ukrainian captains from the Odesa region: Pavlo Panasiuk and Andrii Starish. Pavlo has captained the Noosfera successfully since its first Antarctic expedition in 2022. For Andrii, who had previously distinguished himself as an excellent chief mate, it was his first season as captain. Born in Kiliia, Odesa region, he graduated from the Kyiv State Academy of Water Transport. He first set sail as a trainee at age 18. Since then, for nearly 20 years, the sea has been an inseparable part of his life.
The Center for Transport Strategies (CFTS) spoke with Starish about the unique challenges of working on an icebreaker, the difficulties encountered during the Noosfera's fourth Antarctic season, and preparations for the next research phase.
Although this was your first season as captain, you had extensive experience as a seafarer. How did you end up aboard the icebreaker?
As an ordinary sailor, I worked for many international offshore companies on different types of vessels, including Supplier, PSV, ES-VIE, and Jack-Up vessels. For nearly five years, I worked on a support vessel involved in installing floating offshore wind platforms (wind turbines).
After that, I took a vacation at home. During that time, my longtime colleague, Pavlo Panasiuk—who now shares command with me on the Noosfera—suggested that I join an Antarctic expedition aboard our Ukrainian icebreaker. I was a bit surprised, but I visited the ship and realized it was legitimate. Then, I decided to fulfill my childhood dream of visiting Antarctica. That is how we started working.
So, you have been on this icebreaker since its first voyage...
Exactly! I was the chief mate, Panasiuk was the captain, and Denys Matiushenko was the second mate. The three of us were part of the original crew that set sail from Odesa.
Are you familiar with the current employment situation for Ukrainian seafarers?
I do not keep in touch with my former colleagues much because we all worked on international crews. At my previous workplace, for example, everyone was Dutch. I keep up with the news, but I do not have firsthand information about the current employment situation.
What are the unique aspects of working on an icebreaker?
Offshore vessels mainly operate in the oil sector, supporting its operations and supplying construction materials. In contrast, our work is distinctly different. We operate as an icebreaker and a survey research vessel, primarily focusing on science. Our job is to reach difficult-to-access places and find ways to perform tasks set by scientists.
Every station we visit presents a new challenge. We always have to deal with a lot of ice. Icebergs are unstable targets that are constantly moving. There are also navigation issues: many maps are outdated, and recorded depths do not always correspond to reality. So, each time, we are a bit like Magellan.
What condition was the research icebreaker RRS James Clark Ross — the former flagship of the British Royal Research Fleet that later became the Noosfera — in when it was acquired in 2021? What repairs have been performed on this vessel in Ukraine?
We upgraded the vessel to a very high operational standard. Everything on board is functioning well. Of course, there is ongoing maintenance and the occasional minor malfunction, which is to be expected. When we received the vessel, we followed proper protocol by conducting extensive servicing and inspections. The ship entered dry dock, was repainted, underwent necessary testing, and successfully passed sea trials. It was akin to purchasing a car and doing everything necessary to ensure its stable operation. We did everything in accordance with the regulations, registry requirements, and international standards because we were going into international waters.
We did this in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands. It was our first stop. We delivered scientists, stocked provisions, refueled, and rotated crew members there. This was also where we underwent our first port inspection. The local port inspector found just one minor issue during the inspection. We demonstrated a very good level.
Later, we entered the port of Punta Arenas, Chile. We were welcomed, and the port authorities conducted inspections. Everything went very well. Since then, we have visited many ports and gotten to know all the inspectors. Sometimes they have questions for us, and we respond immediately to all their observations.
Could you tell us more about this fourth Antarctic season? In addition to your scheduled tasks, you also conducted joint missions with the national Antarctic programs of Poland, the United States, Spain, and the Czech Republic. What were the most technically challenging maneuvers? How did the vessel perform?
It was a very busy season. The longer we operate, the more stations we support. As a result, the ship operated nonstop in Antarctica for almost five months. We crossed the Drake Passage ten times. Each crossing, in either direction, is counted as a separate crossing because the weather is different each time and the passage is unpredictable. You have to check two or three days ahead to ensure a safe crossing of this section. Therefore, completing ten crossings this season was the equivalent of summiting Everest for us. However, if everything is planned well in advance, the crossing will go smoothly. That is our job.
There are many stations in Antarctica, each of which poses unique navigational challenges in ice-bound conditions. In a single day, we often experience weather conditions characteristic of all four seasons. For example, you might experience brilliant sunshine and crystal-clear waters in the morning, followed by a sudden storm, snow, or hail within a few hours. This variability is what defines the region. However, we are accustomed to it because we have been operating there for several seasons.
Do you have any memorable moments from the expedition?
Perhaps the most memorable experience was our last stay at the Palmer Station, a United States research station in Antarctica. We anchored in a small bay near the station — a narrow cove with a pier. We had maneuvered only two hull lengths into the harbor, which had just one possible exit. The other direction was blocked by a glacier. There was a relatively "small" iceberg at the entrance to the bay, although "small" is relative. It was roughly the same size as our vessel, and we could not see how much of it was underwater. Since it is estimated that 70–80% of an iceberg's mass lies below the surface, we kept it under constant observation. We monitored its every movement within that confined body of water carefully. Just one day before our planned departure, the iceberg suddenly rolled over, blocking nearly half of our exit path. Then it began drifting in our direction. Fortunately, the depth there was relatively shallow — around 20 meters — and the iceberg itself was larger than that. As a result, it hit a barrier and did not reach our ship. Everything turned out fine, but we were prepared for an emergency evacuation if necessary.
In its official announcement marking the end of the Antarctic research season, the National Antarctic Center highlighted the captains' "innovative approach to implementing the scientific program." What exactly did that mean?
For instance, we had to think creatively when planning approaches to scientific targets and plotting routes that would allow the vessel to reach the optimal position for deploying Argo buoys (autonomous oceanographic instruments). We installed and activated new equipment, as well as special devices for measuring various water parameters, such as transparency and salinity, and the presence of microorganisms in different water layers... At each buoy launch site, we took these measurements at depths exceeding 1,000 meters. We used the dynamic positioning system the entire time. The scientists were surprised that we could stand in one position for several hours with a displacement of only 30–60 cm. This was a novelty for the Ukrainian scientists. Sometimes we stood for two hours, but the scientific tasks required three to four hours of work. We improvised, but did everything with precision. The scientists noted that the accuracy of the measurements and the precision with which we launched the buoys into the ocean met international requirements.
How will you prepare for the next season?
As soon as the ship returns to port, we will begin preparing for the new season. New routes and research programs are already being planned. While in port, the vessel undergoes all the necessary checks and servicing. As an ice-class vessel, we also undergo an annual hull inspection to check the thickness of the metal. Global preparations, including crew selection, equipment, and maintenance of the holds and moving parts of the ship, such as cranes, are underway. All of this must be completed in time because there are no ports in Antarctica, and help is practically nonexistent there. Punta Arenas is so remote that, to invite a service engineer, a request must be sent several months in advance. Therefore, everything that needs to be done must be done in the base port. Currently, that is in Cape Town.
Do you plan to enhance the vessel's capabilities in any way?
Naturally, some devices become outdated and need updating. We are upgrading our vessel. It would be great if Ukraine acquired an additional icebreaker in the future. It would raise our international status and enable us to take on a larger volume of tasks.
We are moving in the right direction and, according to our international partners, we are doing our job very well. Many other countries are inviting us to collaborate. Sometimes, we are asked to transport something or provide services involving future cooperation.
Many people today are concerned about global warming. Have you personally observed any striking signs of it in Antarctica?
Well, these questions are best addressed to scientists, of course. It seems that the summer season has been delayed slightly. There have been seasons when we set sail in early April because the temperature was significantly below zero, and weather conditions made navigation very difficult. Now, we set sail at the end of April, and I observed very mild weather. It seemed as if the season had shifted slightly. But these are just my observations.
Antarctica always has difficult weather conditions. Take, for example, the Drake Passage in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. There are frequent cyclones and storms, and cold and warm fronts constantly interchange, making it difficult to predict anything. Scientists rely on meteorological indicators, but we rely more on navigation. We just go from one point to another. We are always on the move, day and night. Our task is to arrive at our destination so that we can "do science" there.
At the beginning of our conversation, you said that your dream led you to Antarctica. What were your first impressions? What did you like the most there?
Now we do not have much time to look around, we are only guided by a very tight schedule. However, the first time I came here, it was like a dream. It is impossible to put it into words. You just have to see it for yourself. This work has already become a part of our lives. We feel that we are doing a good deed, and that pushes and inspires us to keep working.
