''Laura Bassi'' (formerly ''Polar Queen'' and RRS ''Ernest Shackleton'') is an icebreaking research vessel operated by the Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, (in Italian: Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS). Between 1999 and 2019, she was the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) logistics ship, primarily used for the resupply of scientific stations in the Antarctic.

History

Launched in July 1995 as MV ''Polar Queen'' for GC Rieber Shipping, she was operated in the Antarctic by other national programmes. The BAS acquired her on a long-term bareboat charter in August 1999 to replace . She was renamed RRS ''Ernest Shackleton'' in 2000, after the Anglo-Irish polar explorer

Sir Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of ...

, but was known to users as "The Shack". After 20 years of polar duties for BAS, ''Ernest Shackleton'' was returned to her owners on 30 April 2019. OGS
Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale
acquired the ship on 9 May 2019. They renamed her RV ''

Laura Bassi Laura Maria Caterina Bassi Veratti (29 October 1711 – 20 February 1778) was an Italian physicist and academic. Recognized and depicted as "Minerva" (goddess of wisdom), she was the first woman to have a doctorate in science, and the second wo ...

'', in honour of the first woman to earn a professorship in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

at a university and the first woman in the world to be appointed a university chair in a scientific field of studies.Findlen, Paula. "Science as a Career in Enlightenment Italy : The Strategies of Laura Bassi." Isis, vol. 84, no. 3, 1993: 441–469.

Construction

''N/R Laura Bassi'' is ice strengthened with a double hull construction. In November 2020, she was certified Category A PC5 according to the Polar Code rules. She is capable of a wide range of logistic tasks, as well as having a scientific capability.

Service

Between 1999 and 2019, RRS ''Ernest Shackleton'' was the main logistic ship for the BAS. She was used to resupply the survey's Antarctic research stations and also had a research capability. "Tula", a cargo tender stored on deck, allowed transfer ashore of stores and equipment when the ship could not berth alongside. During the northern summer, she was commercially chartered, often working in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

. On charter to Crystal Cruise Line, she escorted its 68,000 ton liner ''

Crystal Serenity ''Crystal Serenity'' is a cruise ship owned by Crystal Cruises before the line went out business. ''Crystal Serenity'' was built in 2003 by STX Europe in St. Nazaire.

'' through Canada's

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arc ...

in late August/September 2016 and 2017. In the austral summer 2019/2020, she carried out the first Antarctic mission under the Italian flag, completing two rotations between

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and

Zucchelli Station Zucchelli Station is an Italian seasonal research station, located at Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica on a granitic headland along the coast of the Northern Foothills to north-east of Gerlache Inlet. It has been named after Mario Zucchelli, direct ...

, the Italian Antarctic base.

References

External links

Image
of RRS ''Ernest Shackleton'' on the British Antarctic Survey website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Laura Bassi (icebreaker) Ships built in Norway Icebreakers of the United Kingdom Research vessels of the United Kingdom 1995 ships British Antarctic Survey

History

Construction

Service

See also

References

External links