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On 23 April, World Laboratory Day, we celebrate the extraordinary places where science pushes the boundaries of human knowledge, from the remote corners of Earth to laboratories orbiting high above it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One such place is\u00a0Concordia station, where\u00a0ESA\u00a0medical doctor Sarah Gaier is seen testing biological samples in the\u00a0\u00a0laboratory. Located in the middle of Antarctica, 1100 km inland from the coast on a plateau at an altitude of 3200 m, Concordia is one of the most extreme research outposts on our planet. When winter sets in, temperatures plummet to\u00a0-80\u00b0C,\u00a0the Sun disappears for four months, and the station becomes completely cut off from the rest of the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite these hardships, a dozen or so people winter over at Concordia station in the name of science. Far removed from civilisation, the white world of Antarctica allows research that would be impossible elsewhere, from glaciology to astronomy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For\u00a0two decades, ESA has sponsored a medical doctor each year to brave the cold and\u00a0isolation\u00a0in this unique environment which mirrors many of the psychological and physiological challenges astronauts face in space. By studying life at Concordia,\u00a0scientists can better understand these effects, develop countermeasures and prepare for future human missions beyond Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sarah Gaier arrived at Concordia station last November.\u00a0IShe has been busy settling into the station and setting up\u00a0biomedical experiments\u00a0, which include studying mindfulness techniques and investigating the effects of the extreme environment on our immune systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Earth\u2019s most remote laboratory, the Concordia\u00a0winterover\u00a0crew are more\u00a0isolated\u00a0than astronauts on the International Space Station.\u00a0ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is\u00a0currently\u00a0carrying out\u00a0several\u00a0science experiments within the Columbus module, Europe\u2019s laboratory in space,\u00a0for the\u00a0\u03b5psilon\u00a0mission.\u00a0Orbiting 400 km above us, Columbus is also among the most\u00a0remote\u00a0research facilities accessible to humankind, enabling groundbreaking experiments in microgravity conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read Sarah\u2019s\u00a0first blog\u00a0for a glimpse into her journey to Concordia, and life in Earth\u2019s most remote laboratory.\u00a0Discover stories from\u00a0previous\u00a0ESA medical doctors\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0Concordia blog.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n