No waste can be left behind, nor can any alteration be made to the environment, where there is very sensitive flora and fauna. The environmental impact caused must be zero. PHOTO/MARÍA SENOVILLA - Army personnel during one of the theoretical training sessionsĮvery year new scientists and military go to Deception Island, but the premise is very clear: the human footprint they leave in Antarctica has to be non-existent. All of them are dedicated to supporting scientific research in their respective countries. There are also American, Canadian and Korean military bases. The base closes in March and reopens again every December. There is no relief as such in Antarctica. On his return, he begins to select the staff for the next campaign, and those selected (out of 200 applications) undergo several phases of preparation. The process is always the same: once the head of mission has been appointed, he travels to Deception Island for a few days to see how the work is progressing there and to find out what profiles will be required. To acquire these skills, almost a year's training is required. The Gabriel de Castilla base has a capacity for 28 people, and any more military personnel would mean one less scientist. As there are so few members, each of them is capable of carrying out different tasks. In this 34th campaign, 13 members will travel, 12 men and one woman. This means that we have to make a very meticulous logistical forecast, and although the ship Hespérides appears there every three or four weeks to supply products such as fruit or vegetables, we have to keep everything calculated," says Brigade José Pardos Fernández, in charge of the Engine Area and one of the "repeaters".Įvery year, two members of the previous campaign replicate the mission, serving as a link to the new ones and providing continuity to the maintenance work. "The main difference between the base Gabriel de Castilla and any other international mission is that in Antarctica you know that the nearest life zone is 1,000 km away, in Argentina or Chile. PHOTO/MARÍA SENOVILLA - Two members of the expedition put on the Viking insulation suit they will wear during the Antarctic missionġ,000 kilometres from the nearest life zone And with that premise, both scientists and military personnel will postpone the trip as long as necessary. In the words of Commander Cardesa, who is leading this 2021 campaign, "Coronavirus must not enter Antarctica under any circumstances". However, this year marked by the COVID-19, they will not leave for Deception Island until after Christmas, waiting to see how the pandemic situation evolves. The expedition takes place between December and March, when weather conditions allow a better use of the work.
Thus, since 1988 and for four months a year, this military base has been set up so that Spain can do science in Antarctica. For those who wonder why a military mission is necessary in a region where there is no conflict, the answer is because the better the logistics, the better the work of the scientists who, from different Spanish universities, carry out their research on the frozen continent.Īnd while they carry out their research, the Armed Forces take care of their security, transport, medical care, food and even their accommodation on Base Gabriel de Castilla.
Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Agency, 2016.It is the oldest international mission in which the Spanish Army participates.Īnd also the most atypical: a campaign with a scientific purpose.
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