I-Viking namuhla umemezele umkhumbi wawo wokuqala wohambo - i-Viking Octantis enezimenywa ezingama-378 - "ibingasasebenzi," okukhomba ingqophamlando yokwakha enkulu futhi okokuqala ngqa lapho lo mkhumbi omusha uthinta amanzi. Kuhlelelwe ukuqala ekuqaleni kuka-2022, iViking Octantis uzochitha isikhathi sakhe sobuntombi ukuhamba ngomkhumbi e-Antarctica naseNyakatho Melika eGreat Lakes. Umkhumbi wesibili, ofanayo wohambo, iViking Polaris, uzoqala ukusebenza ehlobo ngo-2022 futhi uzohamba ngomkhumbi uye e-Antarctica nase-Arctic.
“Ngokusebenzisana neFincantieri kule minyaka eyisishiyagalombili edlule, sakhe imikhumbi yasolwandle enhle kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Kuyasijabulisa ukuqhubeka nobudlelwano bethu neVARD yakwaFincantieri futhi sigubhe leli qophamlando elibalulekile ekwakhiweni komkhumbi wethu wokuqala wokuhambela, ”kusho uTorstein Hagen, uSihlalo weViking. “Ekwakheni 'uhambo lomuntu ocabangayo,' sithuthukisa uhambo lokuvakasha oluya ezindaweni ezibandayo, futhi sizoqala inkathi entsha yokuhlola okunethezeka enkabeni yeNyakatho Melika. UViking Octantis nomkhumbi kadadewabo, IViking Polaris, izovumela izivakashi zethu ukuthi zihlole kabanzi - kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba kanye nasekhaya. Ngithanda ukubonga ozakwethu eVARD nawo wonke umuntu osebenza egcekeni ngokusebenza kanzima nangokuzinikela ekwakheni i- UViking Octantis; sibheke phambili ekwamukeleni izimoto zethu ekuqaleni konyaka ka-2022. ”
I-float out ibalulekile ngoba ichaza umkhumbi ongena esigabeni sokugcina sokwakhiwa. Umcimbi wokuntanta we UViking Octantis kwenzeke namuhla, ngoDisemba 22; Ube esedluliselwa esikhumulweni semikhumbi esiseduze ukuze aqhubeke nokwakha nokwakha ngaphakathi. Ngemuva kokugqoka kokugcina, UViking Octantis izothunyelwa esikebheni semikhumbi iFincantieri VARD eSøviknes, eNorway.
Abahloli bamazwe abahlonishwayo uLiv Arnesen no-Ann Bancroft bazohlonishwa njengonkulunkulukazi abangamasiko UViking Octantis futhi IViking Polaris, ngokulandelana. U-Arnesen, odabuka eNorway, waba ngowesifazane wokuqala emhlabeni ukushushuluza yedwa futhi engasekelwa eSouth Pole ngo-1994. UBancroft ungowesifazane wokuqala ukushushuluza ngempumelelo kuzo zombili izigxobo. U-Arnesen noBancroft baphinde baba ngabesifazane bokuqala ukushushuluza benqamula i-Antarctica ngonyaka ka-2001. Ngokubambisana basungula iBancroft Arnesen Explore / Access Water, okuyisinyathelo esihlose ukubandakanya nokunikeza amandla izingqondo ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-60 ukudala ikusasa elizinzile.
