Bad weather Concordia

Bad weather hit Concordia research station in Antarctica in early October 2013.

The crew had to face winds that piled snow metres high, blocking doors and blowing experiments away.

For nine months, a crew of up to 15 live in isolation in the twin towers of Concordia conducting research on the icy plateau 3200 m above sea level. The Sun never rises above the horizon for four months and no access is possible – the nearest life is some 600 km away at the Russian Vostok base. 

Preparing for exploration of our Solar System, ESA runs life-science experiments on the crew as they adapt to life in these harsh conditions.