Tara Polar Station: the international mobile facility that will study the North Pole

Meet the Tara Polar Station

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

On April 24, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and fashion designer Agnès Troublé, known as Agnès b., inaugurated the Tara Polar Station in Lorient (Brittany, France), a ship designed for scientific exploration in the polar environment.

A foundation created by Agnès b.

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

The ship was launched by the Tara Ocean Foundation, founded in 2003 by Agnès Troublé. According to its official website, it is the first recognized public utility foundation (FRUP) dedicated to the ocean in France.

The effects of climate change in the sea

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

For more than twenty years, the foundation has organized scientific expeditions to explore marine biodiversity and analyze the effects of climate change, in an anticipatory and awareness-raising approach.

A dozen scientific expeditions

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Among its main expeditions are Tara Arctic (2006–2008), dedicated to studying the effects of climate change in the Arctic, Tara Pacific (2016–2018), focused on the biodiversity of coral reefs, and Tara TREC (2023–2025), which has been analyzing the impact of human activities on European coastal ecosystems.

A multiple mission

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

The Tara Ocean Foundation pursues several objectives: to raise awareness among young people and the general public, to encourage the involvement of political decision-makers, and to share its knowledge with developing countries to improve their understanding of ocean-related issues.

Photo: Matt Hardy / Unsplash

A hybrid building

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

After ten years of development, the foundation inaugurated in April, in the port of Lorient, the second ship in its fleet, the Tara Polar Station, designed as both an exploration ship and a scientific base.

The ISS at the North Pole

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Envisioned as the “ISS of the ice,” the Tara Polar Station is modeled after the International Space Station as a permanent scientific observatory. It aims to conduct around ten missions in the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole over the next twenty years.

Extreme conditions

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Like the astronauts of the International Space Station, the scientists aboard the Tara Polar Station will face extreme conditions, such as intense cold and permanent darkness during the winter. They will explore an ocean region that is still virtually unknown.

Photo: Daiwei Lu / Unsplash

Different places, same problems

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

“We share some of the same problems: we're going to put ourselves in an extreme environment to do research that can't be done elsewhere,” said Thomas Pesquet (photo), sponsor of the scientific vessel.

Dangerous environments

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

“We also have the same issues: living together is difficult, the environment is quite dangerous, the need to make repairs when sometimes we'd rather not, and when our lives depend on it,” Pesquet continued.

Dimensions similar to a tennis court

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Designed like a floating saucer, the Tara Polar Station has impressive dimensions: 26 meters (85 feet) long and 16 meters (52 feet) wide, the equivalent of a tennis court, according to the French newspaper 20 Minutes.

"It was built like an olive pit"

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

“It's a boat that was built like an olive pit. If you press on an olive pit, you can never crush it, it will always rise. So, when the ice surrounds the Tara Polar Station, the ice will not crush the Tara Polar Station, but will push the boat up onto the ice,” explains Clémentine Moulin, expedition director of the Tara Ocean Foundation, quoted by Radio France.

Access to the ocean

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Moulin continued: “We will have permanent access to the ocean thanks to a 'moon pool,' a tunnel that gives us access to the sea from inside the boat. And that's where we will deploy all the scientific instruments to carry out the various studies.”

Photo: Willian Justen de Vasconcellos / Unsplash

The crew of the Tara Polar Station

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

According to 20 Minutes, the Tara Polar Station crew will consist of 12 people, from different countries: six scientists, four sailors, a doctor, and a journalist. To ensure a continuous presence on board the polar station, rotations are planned, particularly during the summer period.

A rigorous selection

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

The crew will undergo rigorous selection beforehand, with physical and psychological aptitude tests. “There will be requirements in recruitment, because we can't send just anyone into this environment, both for them and for the rest of the team,” explained Loïc Vallette, head of technical management at the Tara Foundation.

Specific training

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Once selected, the crew members will undergo specific training, including extreme survival courses. As reported by 20 Minutes, the sailors will be trained to deal with potential encounters with polar bears.

Evacuations will be difficult

Meet the Tara Polar Station, A foundation created by Agnès b., The effects of climate change in the sea, A dozen scientific expeditions, A multiple mission, A hybrid building, The ISS at the North Pole, Extreme conditions, Different places, same problems, Dangerous environments, Dimensions similar to a tennis court, "It was built like an olive pit", Access to the ocean, The crew of the Tara Polar Station, A rigorous selection, Specific training, Evacuations will be difficult

Due to the ship's geographical isolation, any medical evacuation is particularly complex. As Loïc Vallette points out: “There are few search and rescue resources in this area. Dispatching helicopters in the middle of the polar night is far from easy.”

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