New Russian Arctic Station to Open April 25

Russia's North Pole-32 drifting Arctic station will be opened April 25th, if the weather is fine. This was disclosed to a RIA Novosti correspondent on Thursday by the station's academic supervisor Vladimir Sokolov.

An airstrip is now being completed on an ice-floe, which will accommodate the station's basic elements, Sokolov noted. The first planes will land on that ice-floe on April 25th.

The Russian flag will also be hoisted there April 25th, thus heralding the station's initial work, Sokolov added.

The North Pole-32 station was to have launched initial observations already April 25th; however, sophisticated equipment wasn't delivered to the station because of foul weather. Consequently, the beginning of scientific work at the station will have to be postponed, Sokolov went on to say.

Eight out of 12 expedition members are now staying in tents on that ice-floe. Seven modular houses will be assembled by early May - some of them will accommodate expedition members and others will house scientific labs.