Feb. 08 2016

Scientists will soon be wearing safety trackers from a Belgium start-up company while working on Earth’s southernmost continent.
Being the coldest, windiest and harshest location on Earth, temperatures can reach –90°C during winter and go down to even –20ºC during summer. Winds can reach 250 km/h and visibility can sink to almost zero during ‘whiteouts’.
With the potential for rapid changes in weather, all outdoor activities in this all-white environment must always be done with the greatest care.
Carrying a SticknTrack location tracker in the pocket from Sensolus, a start-up company from ESA’s Business Incubation Centre in Flanders, will help to keep the researchers safe. The same sensors will also be used to track skidoos, sledges and other equipment used.

Image:
(A) The team.
(B) Antarctica.
(C) SticknTrack on container.