Steaming cold at Concordia

Glaciologist Sebastien Aubin takes a break from work in preparation for the arrival of this year's summer scientists at Concordia research base.

Concordia in Antarctica offers researchers a unique location 3200 m above sea level in the world's largest desert. Temperatures can drop to –80°C in the winter when the Sun does not rise over the horizon for four months.

Concordia is one of the few Antarctic stations that is permanently crewed. In the winter 13 crewmembers maintain the base in complete isolation cut off from the world.

In the summer over 40 scientist set up camp to conduct research in fields as diverse as glaciology and astronomy.

ESA sponsors a medical researcher in Concordia to study the effects of isolation in preparation for future spaceflight missions.