The launch of the L’Astrolabe, a 72-metre polar logistics vessel took place on July 12. The ship was built by PIRIOU (France) for the French Southern and Antarctic Lands Administration. It will be used to transport personnel and supplies to the Dumont d’Urville research station in Antarctica. This type of vessel is operating in the most challenging ice and weather conditions. The L’Astrolabe will have accommodation for 60 persons, a cargo capacity of 1400 metric tons, and is fitted with a helideck large enough to accommodate two helicopters. To support their needs, they have a WingLift for handling containers in a smooth way. The WingLift is a robustly built heavy equipment and container transporter engineered to perform well in a rough weather climate.