The "Akademik Fyodorov" research vessel left the Saint Petersburg port in the small hours of November 6 and is now on its way to the Antarctic. Russia's 53rd Antarctic Expedition is made up of 102 expedition members and 70 sailors. The ship is to visit the port of Bremerhaven in Germany and pick up team members from Austria, France and South Korea and then head to Capetown in South Africa, where eve more scientists will join the expedition. The journey is expected to take more than 200 days. One of the mission's priorities is to explore Lake Vostok, which is hidden under Antarctica's 4 km-thick ice. Antarctic Expedition is expected to finish in June 2008.