The Airship "Italia" — Umberto Nobile's expedition to the North Pole

Let's examine the chronology of events, historical facts — and the significance of the expedition for modern aeronautics.

The expedition on the airship "Italia" became one of the most ambitious and dramatic pages in the history of polar exploration. In 1928, Italy, seeking to establish its presence in Arctic exploration, organized an aerial expedition led by General Umberto Nobile. The goal — to reach the North Pole and conduct scientific research in its vicinity.

The airship, built by order of the Italian government, symbolized technological breakthrough and national pride. The expedition started on April 15, 1928, from Milan, and on May 6 — from the base camp on Spitsbergen.

Nobile's airship is not just a machine, but a continuation of his life's journey. Umberto Nobile — Italian engineer, airship designer, and polar explorer. Earlier, he had participated in an expedition on the airship "Norge" together with Roald Amundsen, reaching the North Pole in 1926. However, disagreements with Amundsen and the desire to prove the independence of his achievements pushed Nobile toward a new mission — this time under the Italian flag.

He not only commanded the expedition but also personally designed the airship "Italia," improving it compared to previous models.

The Italian airship "Italia" was a semi-rigid airship 106 meters long, with a volume of 18,500 m³. It was equipped with three engines, a gondola for the crew, and a separate compartment for scientific equipment.

Main expedition objectives:

✓ Repeated achievement of the North Pole from Italian territory (Spitsbergen);

✓ Mapping poorly studied Arctic territories;

✓ Meteorological, geophysical, and gravimetric observations.

The route ran from Spitsbergen through the North Pole to Franz Josef Land, with a return journey — the total path was to cover about 5,000 km.

The airship, heading to the North Pole, reached its goal on May 24, 1928. The crew dropped an Italian flag and a papal medal at the pole, and also conducted a series of scientific measurements.

However, problems began on the return journey: fuel shortage, unfavorable weather, and technical failures. Despite this, the team continued collecting valuable data. The triumph was overshadowed by growing anxiety — the airship began losing hydrogen, and its controllability deteriorated. Nobile decided to descend for more accurate observations, which ultimately became a fateful turn of events.

The crash of the airship "Italia" occurred on May 25, 1928. During an attempted landing on ice in storm conditions, the aircraft lost control — the gondola with 10 crew members broke off and crashed onto the ice, while the envelope with the remaining 6 people was carried away by wind and disappeared. Thus began the 1928 catastrophe, which became one of the most famous in the history of polar aviation.

The survivors on the ice floe found themselves in extreme conditions: cold, injuries, lack of food and radio communication. Only after several days did they manage to restore the radio transmitter — the distress signal was heard by Soviet radio amateur Nikolai Schmidt.

The rescue of the airship "Italia" became an international mission. USSR, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and other countries joined the search operation. The Soviet icebreaker "Krasin" and Norwegian aircraft searched for survivors for weeks.

A tragic episode occurred with Amundsen. Roald Amundsen, despite past disagreements with Nobile, voluntarily set out to search in the seaplane "Latham."

On June 18, 1928, the aircraft disappeared over the Barents Sea — Amundsen didn't fly in an airship, but his sacrifice for the sake of saving a former rival became a symbol of polar chivalry. The survivors were found and rescued only on July 12 — almost 50 days after the catastrophe.

Commander Umberto Nobile's expedition on the airship became a turning point in the history of polar exploration. Despite the tragic finale, it provided:

✓ Invaluable scientific data on the Arctic;

✓ Experience organizing international rescue operations;

✓ Development of radio communication and navigation in extreme conditions;

✓ Stimulus for creating international agreements on search and rescue in polar regions.

Nobile himself, having survived the catastrophe and criticism, subsequently restored his reputation and continued working in aviation. Today, the "Italia" mission is a symbol of courage, scientific passion, and the tragic price that sometimes must be paid for progress.

This expedition reminds us: even the boldest technologies don't cancel the fragility of human life — but it's precisely this fragility that makes feats real.

Today, the Russian project "New Generation Airships" pays tribute to the heroes of the 20th century. And combines traditions and innovations to bring to life the dreams of aeronauts of all times. How airships are built in the 21st century and how every person can contribute to this process, we tell here.