Mission Control

As I write the members of St George's Antarctica Expedition 2007 are checking in at Edinburgh Airport on the first leg of their historic expedition. As I am an ardent Trekkie at heart, I see myself as Captain Kirk, with Helen Mackie as Commander of the Away Team! Good luck, everyone. You are following in the icy footsteps of Captain Robert Falcon Scott, who was commissioned by the Royal Geographical Society when he set off on his first Antarctic Expedition in 1901. His ship, the Discovery, was a former whaler. You will be embarking on an ice-breaker, the Akademik Shokalskiy, on Monday, sharing it with the Royal Geographical Society. The links continue: Scott's wife, the sculptress Kathleen Bruce, was a St George's student! Their son was the naturalist Peter Scott, and you will be following his interests too as you enjoy your sightings of penguins and you identify orcas and listen to their communication through your hydrophone. However, you have your flight to Paris first, following by the long flight to Buenos Aires tonight. Here at Mission Control we are rooting for you! Good luck, Commander Mackie and the St George's Away Team as you get closer to Antarctica!