World premiere: The Commandant Charcot reaches the North Pole of Inaccessibility
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27/09/2024
On 12 September, Le Commandant Charcot becomes the first ship to reach the legendary North Pole of Inaccessibility. At the helm: Captain Étienne Garcia. While taking the Transpolar route from Nome, Alaska, to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, it also crossed the Magnetic North Pole and the Geographic North Pole. This historic moment was celebrated on board by the entire crew, scientists and guests.
Étienne Garcia
"Reaching the North Pole of Inaccessibility is a moment of rare intensity. It is above all a collective adventure, made possible thanks to the passion and expertise of PONANT."
A scientific odyssey
On board, 20 scientists from around the world are on a mission to collect crucial data about this unexplored area. Le Commandant Charcot is specifically designed for expeditions in extreme environments while minimising its environmental impact thanks to its hybrid electric propulsion powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The North Pole of Inaccessibility
The North Pole of Inaccessibility is the point in the Arctic that is farthest from any land. First described in 1909 by the Russian polar explorer Alexander Kolchak, the exact geographical coordinates were established in 2013 by Jim McNeil with the help of NASA and satellites, at 85°48’ North, 176°09’ East. This point is located 1,465 km from Utqiaġvik in Alaska, 1,390 km from Franz Josef Land in Russia, and 1,070 km from Ellesmere Island in Canada. For comparison, the geographic North Pole is about 700 km from the nearest land.