The ultimate test on a mission to Antarctica is the battle against loneliness and isolation, according to Niu Bin, deputy director of the meteorological bureau of Yongning county in Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Niu recently returned home after completing the country's 39th Antarctic expedition.

He arrived at China's Antarctic Changcheng Station in October 2022. That's where he would spend the next year of his life.

"Upon arriving at the station during the summertime, with no snow on the ground, we were filled with excitement. We were busy and fulfilled every day," Niu said.

He was responsible for routine ground meteorological observations and atmospheric sampling at the station. The work involved collecting meteorological data at fixed times — 2 am, 8 am, 2 pm, 8 pm — and submitting reports to the World Meteorological Organization.