Space2Sea Antarctica: A student journalist’s expedition to bottom of the world begins

Space2Sea Antarctica marks the inaugural voyage in a series produced by FUTURE of SPACE (FoS). This innovative journey blends Earth’s uncharted territories with the inspiring narrative of human curiosity and exploration. It encapsulates the core mission of FoS to: Embrace New Frontiers, Celebrate the Human Experience, and Elevate the Conversation. Student journalist Gabe Castro-Root of American University is chronicling the mission for FoS. You can read his latest dispatch below.

The first indication I would have the opportunity to report from Antarctica came in the form of a frantic series of texts from a friend less than two months ago.

I had just stepped into a meeting when my phone buzzed, so I couldn’t read the messages right away. All I could make out from a quick glance was “Antarctica” and “GABE DO THIS.”

An hour went by before I could figure out what was going on. “A trip to Antarctica seems too good to be true,” I thought, trying to tame my expectations. But when I caught up on texts and emails, it turned out to be exactly that — one spot for a journalism student from my school to accompany legendary explorers and science communicators to Antarctica.

I study at American University in Washington, D.C., a city where students have unique access to powerful institutions and the experiential learning opportunities they offer. But this was different. This was a chance to see up close what science and exploration look like in one of Earth‘s most remote corners. I’m immensely grateful that AU’s School of Communication saw value in my environmental reporting background and selected me to join this expedition.

Throughout my week in Antarctica I’ll be asking questions, writing, taking photos and regularly sharing what I learn with the outside world. I, along with an impressive team of filmmakers, researchers and explorers, will visit sites of great historic import such as Elephant Island, where Ernest Shackleton and his crew took refuge in the early 1900s, and of modern-day significance, like the Ukrainian Vernadsky research base. That visit is particularly significant because our ship will bring to the base two Ukrainian army veterans who have long hoped to travel there.

The goals of Future of Space, the expedition organizer, are lofty — “Embrace new frontiers, celebrate the human experience, and elevate the conversation.”

Mine are more modest: to find stories that spark curiosity and make readers want to know more. If you learn something new, I’ve done my job.

This article was provided by Space2Sea Antarctica and FUTURE of SPACE. For more information on the expedition and FoS visit the Space2Sea Antarctica expedition site, and the FUTURE of SPACE initiative.

Castro-Root is a journalist, photographer and student at American University in Washington, D.C. His reporting has appeared in National Geographic, Bloomberg Law, Sierra Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Charlotte Observer. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the D.C. Science Writers Association, and a 2024 White House Correspondents’ Association scholar.