China's scientificexploration ship "Xuelong" (snow dragon) has left for Changcheng(Great Wall) Station in the western Antarctic to conduct researchand supply missions after unloading supplies and equipment atZhongshan Station.
Xuelong on Sunday left Zhongshan Station in eastern Antarcticfor Changcheng Station, where the ship is scheduled to unloadabout 1,000 tons of oil and other goods for the station's largestever renovation.
During the journey, which is along latitude 65 degrees south,the ship will cover over 5,000 nautical miles (9200 km) acrossnine time zones.
Xuelong, which left Shanghai on Nov. 12, arrived at ZhongshanStation on Dec. 11 and unloaded over 1,000 tons of suppliesincluding four 22-ton snow tractors and one 23-ton excavator onChina's latest scientific expedition to Antarctica, which is thecountry's 24th such expedition.
Meanwhile, 17 Chinese scientists out of the 188-strongexpedition team set off on Dec. 22 for Dome A, the highestAntarctic icecap peak at an elevation of 4,093 meters.
They will choose a suitable location for China's thirdAntarctic research station after Changcheng and Zhongshan stations,and implement a major exploration task, the Panda plan.
The biggest ever renovation project on Zhongshan Stationstarted on Dec. 22, which includes the construction of a new dockand the leveling of a high-frequency radar field.
China launched its first expedition to Antarctica in 1984, withsuch expeditions conducted on an annual basis since then.
Changcheng Station, founded in February 1985, is located southof King George Island, and Zhongshan Station, built in February1989, is located south of Prydz Bay on the Mirror Peninsula, eastof the Larsemann Hills.
According to the Polar Research Institute of China, 82 stationshave been built on Antarctica and the continent receives more than30 scientific expedition teams every year.
Source: Xinhua
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