Continuing the pioneers' work: ZALA UAVs assist scientists in the 70th anniversary of the Antarctic expedition

On January 5, 1956, exactly 70 years ago, the diesel-electric vessel Ob, under the command of polar explorer Mikhail Somov, delivered the first Soviet integrated expedition to the shores of Antarctica. This event marked the beginning of the permanent scientific presence of the USSR, and later Russia, on the sixth continent.

ZALA specialists, together with staff from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), completed the first stage of work as part of the 71st Russian Antarctic Expedition (RAE). The work was conducted at the year-round Progress Antarctic Station, the unofficial capital of the Russian Antarctic Expedition.

The ZALA T-16 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has proven its exceptional reliability in high-latitude conditions. During this phase, laser scanning and aerial photography of the station and surrounding areas were conducted. The ZALA UAV demonstrated high-quality communication with the ground control station in Antarctic conditions and ensured high-quality live video transmission.

The next stop on the 71st RAE program will be the oldest Soviet and Russian Antarctic station, Mirny.

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