Bharti: India's worst kept secret about Antarctica space research station

New Delhi: An inquiry has been ordered by the government into the shutdown of ISRO activities at the Indian Research Station in Antarctica allegedly due to lack of fuel at the remote site and clashes between the team leader and her subordinates. The inquiry is being conducted by the ministry of earth sciences (MoES).The research station 'Bharti' provides data for more than 20 satellites of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and has more than 17 employees from various scientific organizations in the country. The shutdown of Isro activities occurred in October this year.The 2,500 sq m (27,000 sq ft) Bharti Indian Polar Station was constructed using shipping containers, and allows scientists to conduct their work in safety, despite the punishing local weather conditions.Bharti was India's third permanent base in Antarctica. Owing to the rules laid out in the Antarctic Treaty System, the facility is designed so that it can be completely disassembled and removed from the frigid landscape without leaving a trace.Like Britain's Halley VI research station, Bharti's remote location requires it to be self-sufficient for long periods of time, and able to withstand extremes in weather which include wind gusts of 200 mph (321 km/h), and temperatures reaching minus 40°F (minus 40°C).To help meet this challenge, the building was set on stilts and its outer facade shaped (with the aid of a wind tunnel), into a form said to help forestall the buildup of snow drifts.The natural topography is a rocky granite hill towering approximately 90 meters above sea level.The sitting and placement of the new research station was based on a location that would minimise the amount of snow drifting, minimise the need for extensive site modification and provide the best access to the sea and sea ice.Australia, Asia, Africa, South America and India were once part of a super-continent called Gondwanaland where the present day east coast of India shared a common border with the eastern shores of Antarctica.Indian polar scientists want to put this theory to test by examining rocks in river basins in the Indian subcontinent and minerals in the glaciers around the Larsemann Hills. The new station is located almost 3,000 km away from the existing 'Maitri' station which has been serving the nation since its inception in 1988-89.'Maitri', which has been hosting summer team of about 70 members and winter team of 25 members every year since 1988-89, is the gateway for Indian scientists to venture into interior Antarctic mountains.India's first research station in Antarctica was Dakshin Gangotri (1983) which has been decommissioned after it got buried under ice and has now been marked as an historic site.Bharti's energy is provided by a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit, which is powered by stockpiles of kerosene. There are actually a total of three CHP units on site, so as to ensure that an untimely mechanical failure doesn't leave the residents in dire straits.While in operation, the CHP unit produces surplus heat, and this is sufficient to warm the building.