According to CCTV News: Currently, the “Xuelong” and “Xuelong 2” have completed unloading operations in the Zhongshan Station area. They are now departing the region and navigating through the open water zone in the outer sea of Zhongshan Station. Over the two-week unloading period, the two ships transported approximately 2,000 tons of supplies via sea ice transportation and helicopter hoisting. In Antarctica’s extreme environment, unloading operations are fraught with challenges.
Nearly 2,000 tons of supplies landed: Successful completion of unloading at Zhongshan Station
On the bridge of the “Xuelong”, Wei, the team leader monitoring the Ka-32 helicopter hoisting supplies toward Zhongshan Station, let out a sigh of relief.
One day earlier, the expedition team had worried that worsening weather would disrupt the final day of unloading, prompting an overnight rush to prepare supplies.
CCTV reporter Wang reported: “It is already midnight, but many team members are still unloading on the ‘Xuelong’’s hatch cover. They are retrieving accessories for the subglacial lake drilling project by unpacking containers and hoisting them onto the ice.”
On the scheduled final day of unloading, the Xuelong’s cargo hold was mostly filled with materials for the subglacial lake drilling project, totaling over 100 tons to be unloaded.
Yin, a member of China’s 42nd Antarctic Expedition Team stationed at Qinling Station, said: “We have been working for 16 hours. It’s quite late today, but we need to prepare supplies for tomorrow morning. There will be one helicopter sortie tomorrow, requiring 10 loads of cargo to be ready.”
The next morning, before 8 o’clock, the Ka-32 helicopter was dispatched. The day’s schedule included one additional sortie compared to usual – meaning 10 extra round trips. After sea ice unloading ceased, subsequent operations were entirely carried out by helicopter hoisting.
Hua, captain of the Ka-32 helicopter with China’s 42nd Antarctic Expedition Team, stated: “Pressure is motivation. We are mentally prepared for the heavy unloading workload during this phase of Antarctic expeditions every year. We’ll rest for half an hour and then continue.”
On the ice surface along the starboard side of the “Xuelong”, five team members collaborated with the helicopter for hook-on/hook-off operations. As a heavy-lift helicopter, the Ka-32 generates extremely strong downwash during flight, with wind speeds exceeding Force 10 at its peak. The team members responsible for hooking operations had to withstand the gale, rush directly beneath the helicopter, fasten the steel cables to the cargo straps, and quickly depart after confirming the connection. When the helicopter lifted off, the powerful wind scattered snow and ice in all directions.
Working on Antarctic sea ice requires protection not only against the cold but also against ultraviolet (UV) burns. Team members were fully covered, making it hard to distinguish one from another. However, their close cooperation effectively ensured the efficiency of helicopter hoisting operations. Throughout the unloading period, the helicopter completed 365 hoists, transporting a total of 1,200 tons of supplies – accounting for over half of the total unloading volume in the Zhongshan Station area.
“Shoeing” heavy equipment: Ship-vehicle coordination for sea ice unloading
The maximum lifting capacity of the Ka-32 helicopter is less than 5 tons, yet some mechanical equipment on the “Xuelong”, such as large winches, graders, and tractors, weigh over 10 tons or even more than 20 tons. How to transport such heavy equipment from the ship to the Antarctic continent?
A key project of this expedition is the subglacial lake drilling project, which requires the team to conduct clean drilling and sampling operations on ice layers exceeding 3,000 meters thick. However, unloading the large winch—an essential piece of equipment for the project – posed a major challenge. Weighing 19 tons, the winch could not be lifted by helicopter.
Yao’s snowmobile unloading team worked exclusively during the late night when temperatures were lower, truly earning the title of “night shift workers”. The unloading site was not far from the landing point, taking about 40 minutes by snowmobile. Nevertheless, towing heavy equipment over 10 tons on sea ice carried certain risks.
The giant red sleds on the ice were custom-made “shoes” for transporting heavy equipment during this expedition. The large winch for the subglacial lake drilling project became the first heavy equipment to “wear” these giant shoes. Pulled by snowmobiles, it was successfully transported to the Antarctic continent.
At this moment, Zhang Nan, the principal project coordinator who had been concerned about the winch’s smooth landing, finally smiled. While the 19-ton winch was safely ashore, the “Xuelong”’s cargo hold still contained other large equipment for various projects. Among them were two domestically produced machines – a grader and a tracked tractor – each weighing over 20 tons. Notably, the tracked tractor exceeded the maximum lifting capacity of a single crane (25 tons). How to unload these heavy pieces of equipment from the ship?
Pan, Deputy Boatswain of the “Xuelong”, explained: “Essentially, one person operates two cranes simultaneously with synchronized movements. Each crane has a maximum lifting capacity of 25 tons, so together they can lift 50 tons.”
After over 4 hours of effort, the two heavy machines were also fitted with custom “shoes” and towed to the Antarctic continent by snowmobiles. It is reported that these two pieces of equipment will play important roles in the Antarctic expedition.
Li, a member of China’s 42nd Antarctic Expedition Team stationed at Grove Mountains, said: “This grader is equipped with an automatic leveling system. It can build roads, level terrain, and break ice.”
This marked the final sea ice unloading operation in the Zhongshan Station area. As temperatures rose and sea ice melted at an accelerated pace, the expedition team decided to halt further sea ice unloading.
Wang, responsible for unloading operations at Zhongshan Station with China’s 42nd Antarctic Expedition Team, stated: “The window for sea ice transportation was very limited this time. Therefore, we specifically arranged for heavy scientific research and logistical support equipment – unable to be lifted by helicopters – to be transported ashore via sea ice.” A total of 70 sledges, weighing approximately 700 tons, were unloaded through sea ice transportation.