雪龙2号破冰船将试航
China's first domestically produced icebreaker "Xuelong 2" is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019 and start trial voyages, reported Guangming Daily on Saturday.
中国第一艘自助制造雪龙2号破冰船有望与2019年上半年完工并开始试航。
It will undergo a series of tests in the polar regions and will then help the current "Xuelong" in the 36th Antarctic research mission, according to the report.
The 122.5-meter-long and 22.3-meter-wide ship was designed by the 708th Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and was assembled in Shanghai.
Compared to its predecessor, the Xuelong 2 will be more maneuverable with the use of two-way icebreaking technology.
The Xuelong 2 is expected to become the basic study platform in China's polar expeditions utilizing the most advanced equipment, according to Polar Research Institute of China.