The research directions for the "North Pole-43" scientific expedition have been approved, and the program will include over 50 scientific tasks, Alexander Makarov, director of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), told TASS in an interview. Specialists will primarily focus on oceanography, geophysics, and atmospheric research. A separate track will be dedicated to mapping the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. Special attention will be paid to climate change, heat and mass exchange processes between the ocean and the atmosphere, ice studies, and work on biodiversity will continue.
The previous expedition, "North Pole-42," concluded in July 2026. The ice-resistant self-propelled platform "Severny Polyus," built at "Admiralteyskie Verfi," returned to Murmansk after 21 months of drifting. As noted by the enterprise, it completed a route of thousands of nautical miles, two seasons of polar night, and daily work among the ice of the Arctic Ocean. Polar explorers and AARI scientists were on board.
The LSP "Severny Polyus" of project 00903 is designed for year-round research in high latitudes. The Arc8 ice-class vessel is 83.1 meters long, 21.8 meters wide, and has a displacement of about 10,000 tons. Its fuel autonomy is about two years, and its service life is at least 25 years. The scientific staff can number up to 48 people. The platform can conduct geological, acoustic, geophysical, and oceanographic observations, move through ice without an icebreaker, and accommodate Mi-8 or Mi-38 helicopters. After the completion of "SP-42," the vessel is being prepared to support the next expedition.