Russian arctic station to begin broadcasting scientific data to the mainland on June 1

The Russian floating station SP-32, or North Pole-32, is beginning to broadcast scientific data to the mainland on June 1, the station's research manager Vladimir Sokolov told RIA Novosti.

Construction of the station is almost complete, and yet it cannot launch the full observations program due to the lack of fuel, which is necessary to run the research complex and broadcast the data, said Sokolov. All it can do now is conduct meteorological research, the results of which are being held at the station, he added.

Once an aircraft or possibly an icebreaker provides a supply of fuel, the station will be able to launch into the whole set of scientific observations, including the broadcasting of meteorological information. The latter will noticeably improve the general idea of weather conditions in the North Pole area and particularize weather forecasts, given that the station will serve as a unique source of reliable information about the weather in the region.

As of today, Russia runs meteorological stations on Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Severnaya Zemlya, Kotelny Island and Wrangel Island, but these are situated further south than SP-32. Apart from that, Russia and a few other countries have a number of floating buoys broadcasting weather reports, but such reports cannot be called 100% reliable, Sokolov noted.