Launch of the Brazilian base in Antarctica

The inaugural event for the new Brazilian base in Antarctica, the Comandante Ferraz Station, was held for 100 people, including naval officers and journalists, on January 15, 2020. It is not hard to imagine that logistics and weather conditions were the main obstacles to be overcome, in addition to having inserted the event into a very complex risk matrix. Therefore, planning was essential for everything to work out, having started in July 2019. In October of the same year, the materials were sent, which were on the ships Ary Rongel and Maximiano, from the Brazilian Navy, and on the Hércules C -130 of the Brazilian Air Force. It was necessary to train the officers who work at the base to set up the event, as it was not possible to take our team. In mid-December, V3A was back in Antarctica to begin setting up the event, which was held both outside and inside the new station, which is located between the sea and the icy mountains of King George Island. Local geography and science were sources of inspiration for creating the scenario: the audience was inside two hollow domes whose structures are shaped like ice molecules – another, smaller one, will be on the stage. The coverings were made with transparent canvas. Green, yellow, and white set the tone for the country's presence. Everything is made in modular structures, to simplify transport, assembly, and disassembly, in addition to having the lowest possible environmental impact. The LED panels used had specifications to cope with low temperatures and not compromise the event. The sound system was also assembled following the same parameters. By the way, to avoid last-minute problems, structures were also set up inside the station recently built by the Chinese company Cieec. The inaugurated base replaced the Emergency Antarctic Module (MAE) and has 17 laboratories, in addition to having the capacity to host 64 people. The station also generates 30% of its energy through solar panels and a mini wind farm.