Mario Zucchelli Station Italian Antarctic Base

Mario Zucchelli Station (formerly Terra Nova Bay Station) is Italy’s primary Antarctic research facility, operated by the Italian National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA) on the western shore of Terra Nova Bay in the Ross Sea. It runs as a summer-only station, typically November through February, with a peak population around 90. The station has a gravel airstrip that supports wheeled aircraft, making it one of the more accessible East Ross Sea logistical points. Fuel, communications, emergency medical, and mechanical workshop facilities are present on site.

Access is via the Italian research vessel Italica out of Lyttelton, New Zealand, or by air through the Pegasus Field and McMurdo network. The station has long-standing cooperative arrangements with nearby Scott Base and McMurdo Station for logistics support. All access requires coordination with PNRA well in advance — expect significant lead time for any expedition approval.

Italy's Ross Sea hub — gravel strip, summer only.