In November 2023, Jessica Studer, a 33-year-old research medical doctor and professional pianist from Bremgarten, Switzerland, prepared for her trip to Antarctica’s Concordia research station. Most work trips require a flight and a few nights in a hotel; hers would involve several days of travel and a year at the most remote outpost in the world.
Very few people have experience preparing for such an extreme journey. Concordia sits at 10,600 feet above sea level, with winter temperatures plummeting to minus 112 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s accessible only by aircraft during the summer months, from November to February, and the station is more isolated than the International Space Station, 240 miles