The third voyage of the RSV 421 to the icy continent started late last year from the Port of Varna. Thanks to the lab, the crew will be able to receive images from EnduroSat satellites.
The lab will also be synchronized with the state-of-the-art Balkan-1 satellite, expected to be launched into orbit in early 2025.
As Raycho Raychev, CEO of EnduroSat, pointed out, the Bulgarian Antarctic expedition will have one of the most advanced systems for Earth observation from space during its next mission.
On this voyage, the focus of the 34 member crew will gradually shift from logistical support for Bulgaria’s Antarctic base to scientific research. The expedition will also conduct an indicative study of marine fauna in four regions of the world ocean – in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Antarctic region.
Chief of the Naval Academy in Varna, Flotilla Admiral Kalin Kalinov, described the RSV 421 as “an example of a unique union of the efforts of the State, the academic and maritime spirit and business.”
EnduroSat has partnered with the Naval Academy, the Bulgarian Air Force Academy and the Sofia University, for the Master’s programs in Space engineering and technology launched this autumn.
The Space Lab onboard the ship “Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii” could be used also for training of cadets to use space data and technology. The vessel will stay in Antarctica for an estimate of 45 days.