AIMP Archives - British Antarctic Survey

20 November 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

20 November, 2025

Discovery Building takes shape The latest update from Rothera, our largest research station in Antarctica, where construction work on the new Discovery Building is advancing well as the summer season …

Discovery Building comes to life in a milestone new season for British Antarctic Survey

24 October, 2025

The 2025 – 2026 Antarctic season is a landmark for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and its Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Project (AIMP), as the new Discovery Building begins to take …

A sign on the side of a large building with snow on the ground around it

17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

17 September, 2025

17 September 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station The British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) wintering team continues to make progress on our new science and operations facility, the Discovery Building at Rothera Research …

A sign on the side of a snow covered building

31 July 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

31 July, 2025

31 July 2025: Postcard from Rothera With the end of the 2024/25 Antarctic construction season, the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) wintering team settles in at Rothera Research Station. Rothera is …

A group of people standing on top of a snow covered mountain

End of season milestone: Discovery Building lights the way forward

24 June, 2025

As the 2024/25 Antarctic construction season comes to a close, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) marks a crucial milestone in the modernisation of Rothera Research Station, as the Discovery Building …

Major Antarctic operations hub switches on to support UK polar science

27 May, 2025

The British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) new scientific support and operations facility, the Discovery Building, is now coming into operational use at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica. Marking a major milestone …

18 April 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

18 April, 2025

Here’s our latest postcard from Rothera Research Station – Discovery Building progress and station life! March was a bustling month at our Antarctic station, with the final flight (of our …

14 March 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

14 March, 2025

Here’s our sixth postcard from Rothera Research Station – Discovery Building progress! Power generation milestone Our Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generators are now operating 24/7 at Rothera Research Station, …

The view from a desk looking out of a window towards a snow capped mountain

A new chapter for Rothera Research Station: inside the Operations Tower

7 March, 2025 Matthew Hughes

As Rothera Research Station continues its modernisation programme, Matt Hughes, Tower Operations Supervisor, shares his thoughts on the transition to our new Operations Tower, marking a significant milestone in Antarctic …

12 February 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

12 February, 2025

Here’s our fifth postcard from Rothera, where exciting changes are transforming our largest Antarctic research station this month! A new wind deflector The new Discovery Building is taking shape with …

A building being constructed by the side of a snowy mountain

15 January 2025: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

15 January, 2025

Welcome to our fourth Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Modernisation progress The season is …

7 things you didn’t know about poo in Antarctica

9 December, 2024 Madeline De Marchis

Poo isn’t usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Antarctica, we tend to imagine the frozen landscape, vast expanses of white, ice sheets, and penguins. Yet, poo is …

6 December 2024: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

6 December, 2024

Welcome to our third Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Summer season in full swing …

A sunset over the snow with a blue building on the left

9 November 2024: Postcard from Rothera Research Station

9 November, 2024

Welcome to our second Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Start of Summer The recent arrival …

A large blue building with a snow covered mountain in the background

New construction season drives Antarctic modernisation forward

4 November, 2024

A new season of construction is underway in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Specialist teams are arriving at Rothera, the UK’s largest research station and gateway for international …

BAS wins national award for runway resurfacing project

25 October, 2024

British Antarctic Survey has won the Gold Award at the National Building and Construction Awards 2024 for ‘The Project of the Year (£10 million to £25 million)’. Oliver Darke, Director …

A new Antarctic season begins for 2024/25

24 October, 2024

The Antarctic field season is now underway, marked by the arrival of the first aircraft at Rothera Research Station. And with a new season brings a new roster of innovative …

A man sitting in a boat on a body of water

Eliot’s reflections on working at Rothera Research Station

22 July, 2024 Eliot Perez

For some people, working in Antarctica is a lifelong dream. For others, like Eliot Perez, Assistant Project Manager for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme, that dream became a reality nine …

A large blue building that is covered in snow

Modernisation milestones achieved in Antarctica

10 July, 2024

Construction teams have completed significant stages of the British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme and joined the over-wintering staff for the first time as the 2023/24 summer season ended. The improvements, led by BAM and technical advisors Ramboll will transform future science and operations at Rothera, the UK’s largest polar research station in Antarctica.

Journey to the Antarctic: a virtual visit to Rothera Research Station

Aimed at KS2, children have the opportunity to find out about the facilities at Rothera research station and the challenges faced in trying to modernise it without impacting upon this special environment. They can ask questions to a scientist, pilot and engineers on station.

Aerial view of runway and large blue building and blue sea in background

Katie’s Journey to Antarctica

2 April, 2024 Katie Handford

As the Antarctic winter season fast approaches, we’ll be following the journey of one of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme’s (AIMP) Assistant Project Managers, Katie Handford as she gears up to spend winter at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.

view of a runway from the air with icy waters and snowy mountain surrounding the runway.

Antarctic Runway is upgraded to support UK hub for polar science

4 March, 2024

As part of the British Antarctic Survey’s Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP), the runway at Rothera research station has successfully been resurfaced by construction company BAM and the design completed by Ramboll. The station is a major hub for international science in Antarctica, and this significant achievement is a pivotal moment for BAS and the UK’s future polar research capabilities.

A yellow construction crane in front of a new blue building with blue sky above

Modernising our stations: news from Rothera

29 February, 2024

We’ve been modernising our Antarctic infrastructure for future generations of polar scientists. Construction in the Antarctic is challenging and the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) has made great progress at …

Two people standing in front of an icy lake with snow covered mountains behind

Love on Ice: Engineers’ Antarctic Engagement Sparks Warmth

21 February, 2024

Engineers Tania Alvarez and Jose Valverde have celebrated their engagement at one of the world’s southmost locations, British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic peninsula.

A blue building with a control tower on the roof and white snowy mountains in the background with a blue sky above

Construction first for British Antarctic Survey as specialist team fit-out new building over the Antarctic winter

27 November, 2023

Construction has begun in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) with specialists arriving at Rothera Research Station to progress several projects to secure the future of polar operations and …

Cleaning the All-Sky Camera portal on top of the optical caboose at Rothera Research Station

2023-2024 field season begins for British Antarctic Survey

19 October, 2023

The Antarctic field season has started, with over 600 people beginning the journey South to work on over 60 projects on station and in the field. The season of work …

A woman wearing bright orange protective clothing standing on a construction site in snowy weather

Polar engineers keep our world running!

23 June, 2023 Elen Jones

Elen Jones joined British Antarctic Survey as the Director of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme in April 2022 after 20 years as an Electrical Engineer in the railway, aerospace and construction industries. For this year’s International Day for Women in Engineering, Elen reflects on her experiences and the importance of encouraging others to join the field of engineering.

Connie Pang working in the construction site at Rothera Research Station

Life as a structural engineer in Antarctica

19 May, 2023 Connie Pang

Connie Pang is a Senior Structural Engineer at Ramboll and travelled to Antarctica this year to work as the Site Supervisor for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Here she looks …

Construction team standing on top of operations tower of a new building in Antarctica

Update on construction season in Antarctica

12 May, 2023

Modernising Antarctic Infrastructure for Future Generations of Polar Scientists Specialist construction teams are travelling home to the UK after five months of work in Antarctica to modernise British Antarctic Survey …

British Antarctic Survey completes Antarctic field season

11 May, 2023

The 2022/23 Antarctic field season has ended, marking the conclusion of another successful year of scientific exploration in one of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. This field season, …

Exterior complete for new Antarctic science and operations facility

3 April, 2023

A new scientific and operational support facility at Rothera Research Station for British Antarctic Survey has been made weathertight, with the cladding complete and an operations tower installed.

Here we go again…

14 March, 2023 Christopher Robert Lloyd

Christopher Robert Lloyd, Associate Project Manager at Ramboll is currently working at Rothera Research Station on the construction of the Discovery Building for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). In …

Live Lesson for schools: Life on the Ice

Join our experts for an interactive live lesson about research in the polar biome! ‘Life on the Ice’ follows the journey of a polar scientist, from the specialist clothes they …

Skis in snow with body of water against snow covered mountains

First journey to Rothera

1 February, 2023 Kathleen Maclean

Simeon Anastasov, Principal Fire Engineer at OFR Consultants, is currently working at Rothera Research Station providing site supervision as part of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP). In this blog …

New season begins for Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation programme

2 December, 2022

The next phase of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation programme (AIMP) is set to begin with a 6-month construction season at Rothera Research Station. The station is the UK’s largest Antarctic research and operations hub that supports leading researchers in frontier science in the region.

Artist impression of the new Discovery Building for science in Antarctica with snow and blue sky in the background

Antarctica drawing competition launches

2 November, 2022

The British Antarctic Survey and its partners are launching a drawing competition for schools, to inspire the next generation of polar engineers, scientists and explorers. School children between the ages …

A group of clouds in the sky over a body of water

Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme – change in leadership

18 July, 2022

This month (July 2022) a formal change in the leadership of the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) takes place.   Elen Jones joins British Antarctic Survey as the new AIMP Programme Director …

New aircraft investment supports polar science

21 April, 2022

On 17 March 2022, Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, Nigel Bird, Director of Major Programmes at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Brian Love, Chief …

A boat is docked next to a body of water

From Inverness to Antarctica: meeting (supply chain) milestones

27 January, 2022 Joseph Stebbing

Joe Stebbing, Assistant Project Manager, AIMP at British Antarctic Survey on how we are meeting our (supply chain) milestones. January has marked a momentous milestone for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation …

The RRS Sir David Attenborough polar research ship in a body of water in Antarctica

The challenges of running Antarctic stations during a pandemic

21 December, 2021 Christopher Robert Lloyd

Christopher Robert Lloyd, Contract Manager for Ramboll, will be working in Antarctica on constructing the new scientific support facility at Rothera, the Discovery Building. He first travelled to Antarctica in …

RRS Sir David Attenborough alongside Rothera Wharf

RRS Sir David Attenborough arrives in Antarctica for the first time

17 December, 2021

Britain’s new polar research vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, has travelled to Antarctica on its maiden voyage, with its first call today (17 December) at Rothera Research Station – …

Communications Tower roof assembled at Teesport, ready for shipment

From Scotland to Antarctica: trial construction of new Antarctic communications tower in Kintore

7 December, 2021

A full trial assembly of a specialist air communications tower for a British Antarctic Research Station has been constructed this autumn in Scotland, ahead of its shipping to Antarctica this month. …

Members of the BAS, BAM and Ramboll Teams stood in the mocked-up Discovery Plantroom

Extreme engineering: Practice makes perfect ahead of fitting out the new Discovery Building

23 November, 2021 Livia Oldland

The new science and operations facility at Rothera Research Station, the Discovery Building, has a unique design to meet the challenges of living and working in Antarctica, along with helping …

The Discovery Building

The Discovery Building will be a new world-class scientific support and operations facility at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica.

A group of people standing next to a body of water.

King Edward Point – Project Blog

25 February, 2020 Joe Corner

Joe Corner, BAS Islands Project Manager, is currently overseeing the redevelopment of King Edward Point wharf on South Georgia Island in the Sub-Antarctic. The project will enable the new UK …

Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team

Delivering the Antarctic infrastructure modernisation programme

Research outputs