The țăNegoițăLaw-Racoviță-Negoiță Station (), known only as the Law-Racoviță Station () until 2011, is the first Romanian station for research and exploration in Antarctica, named after the Romanian explorer Emil Racoviță and inaugurated on January 13, 2006 at the location of a station constructed in 1986 by Australia and donated to Romania. The station may be found in Princess Elizabeth Land, in the Larsemann Hills, away from China's Antarctic Zhongshan Station.
Location
The Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station is placed in a rocky area about from the Ingrid Christensen coast in Princess Elizabeth Land, in the Larsemann Hills of East Antarctica, at the coordinates 69°23'18.61" S, 76°22'46.2" E.
It is located at a distance of 2 kilometers from Zhongshan Station of China and Progress Station of Russia, which permits considerable cooperation between these countries. The station is located from the capital of Romania, Bucharest.
Access to the station is made in one of two ways: via helicopter from Davis Station, approximately northeast, or by land from Zhongshan or Progress II.
History
In 1986, Australia constructed Law Station for polar research where Law-Racoviță-Negoiță now stands for the use of Australian researchers in the polar summer.
Explorer Teodor Negoiță's attempt to develop a Romanian base in Antarctica began in 1997, when he began to present his work for the Antarctic Treaty, which Romania ratified in 1971. No Romanian had previously contributed evidence of research. Following recognition of his research by polar researchers from other countries, no progress was made on the creation of a Romanian polar station until 2000, when Negoiță benefited from the honor of delivering the opening speech at the meeting of Antarctic Treaty nations in London, before delegations from 43 countries. The scope of this meeting entailed elaboration on a code of navigation in Antarctica, with special focus on the discussion of papers presented by Romania, the United States, and England. Negoiță presented the study "Directions on Antarctic maritime transport and protection of nature".
After two years of negotiations, during the 2005 meeting of the Antarctic Treaty in Stockholm, an agreement was signed through which Australia donated to the Romanian Antarctic Foundation and the Romanian Institute for Polar Research one of their research stations on the east coast of Antarctica, Law Station, which was originally renamed to Law-Racoviță Station, after Romanian explorer Emil Racoviță and placed under the directorship of Negoiță. The signing of this agreement took place in the presence of the Romanian and Australian ambassadors to each other's countries.
"After more than 100 years, I brought Racoviță back to Antarctica. I had the greatest satisfaction in my career when I acquired the base from the Australians. I was so emotional then that I couldn't even sign the treaty."- Teodor Negoiță
Following the inauguration of the station in Antarctica, Teodor Negoiță made his thirteenth expedition to the polar region, celebrating two and a half months in the Antarctic, with his team of researchers (including the first Romanian women scientists in Antarctica, a biologist and biochemist on his team). They conducted research on the soil, sediment, and microorganisms of the continent.
On February 20, 2006, the station was officially handed over to Romania from Australia. Currently, it is open only in the "warm" season.
Following the death of Negoiță, on 9 December 2011, the station was renamed to Law-Racoviță-Negoiță Station.