Princess Elisabeth Antarctica Pre-Mounted In Brussels
The International Polar Foundation (IPF) is pleased to announce the inauguration and public revelation of the First “Zero Emission” Research Station, which will be held at Tour & Taxis in Brussels, from the 5th to the 9th of September 2007.
The building of the Princess Elisabeth research station constitutes Belgium's most emblematic contribution to the International Polar Year 2007- 2008.
Before leaving on its long trip to Antarctica, the research station will be inaugurated by Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium, Honorary President of the International Polar Foundation, on September 5th, 2007. The station will then be re-assembled in Antarctica from November 2007 to February 2008.
The official inauguration ceremony is accessible upon invitation only and will allow the press and guests the opportunity to meet project designers and technical partners after an international press conference. On this occasion, the Royal Mint of Belgium will issue the first of a series of 10 euro coins, featuring the new research station.
The site will be open to the general public from the 6th to the 9th of September 2007, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Various exhibitions and films will cover the making of the station, climate change issues and polar research, and special conferences are scheduled on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th of September. You will also be able to take a close look at some of the key materials and equipment used in building the new Antarctic station.
Belgium's return to Antarctica, 40 years after operations ceased at the King Baudouin base, has been made possible by the joint efforts of private enterprise, the Belgian government, the Belgian Scientific Policy Office (BELSPO), the public at large and the International Polar Foundation (IPF), which has been handling the design and construction of the base.