Arctic explorers complete expedition successfully

22 September 2011 – The two-man Danish exploration team – ‘Minus Zero/No Limits’ – co-sponsored by Telespazio’s Mobile Satellite Services business in the UK, has successfully returned home after a 600km expedition along the Northwest Passage, the northern most part of Canada.

Using a two-man kayak, Mogens A Morgen and Tonni Frandsen overcame “brutal challenges” thrown up by the region which has been notoriously difficult to overcome by explorers for over a century.

The icy landscape only accepts visitors on very rare occasions and makes sea travel impossible for the greater part of the year. However, with the objective of mapping historic Inuit sites and shipwrecks, where famous Arctic explorers first made contact with the Netsilik and Copper Inuits over a century ago, the two men successfully dealt with treacherous ice and weather conditions – including pack ice, drifting ice blocks trapping the kayak, high winds, and changing tides – to complete their three-week journey safely.

While the weather posed a constant challenge, wild animals were not a threat during the expedition, though on one occasion, the explorers discovered wolf tracks in their camp. They spotted numerous musk oxen, reindeer, seals, and a host of birds, including a bald eagle. As the expedition approached its final destination – Kugluktuq – Morgen and Frandsen observed the local Inuits celebrating the rare landing of an Orca (killer whale), as well as ten Beluga whales, which the locals had not witnessed for several years.

Throughout the expedition, the explorers were able to maintain communications thanks to the robust communications provided to them. This included the Iridium Airtime from the Telespazio Mobile Satellite Services team in the UK, and the Iridium satellite phone, solar charger and extra battery provided by Danimex, one of Telespazio’s service providers.

“These proved indispensable when we were pinned down for several days by pack ice, and had to use our satphone to request support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” explained Morgen. “The expedition reached its goals and was a great success on all levels, so we thank Telespazio and all our sponsors, without whom the adventure would not have been possible.”

Telespazio’s Andrew Taylor said: “We are proud and delighted to have supported this incredible challenge, and congratulate Mogens and Tonni on successfully completing it. We hope their findings and experiences will be of interest and value to audiences during public lectures in the coming months about the expedition.”

Further information
For further information about the expedition, please click on the following link: http://www.danimex.com/arctic.
For further information about Telespazio MSS, please contact Karen Rogers on karen.rogers@vegaspace.com.