▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁P ole ▁on ▁sk is ▁during ▁a ▁Russian ▁" last ▁degree " ▁research ▁expedition . ▁This ▁training ▁improved ▁his ▁physical ▁condition ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁ski ▁for ▁hundreds ▁of ▁kilom eters , ▁resist ▁the ▁cold ▁and ▁pull ▁a ▁s led ▁that ▁we ighed ▁. ▁He ▁trained ▁eight ▁hours ▁a ▁day ▁pulling ▁two ▁t ires ▁to ▁simulate ▁the ▁s led ▁he ▁would ▁take ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁P ole . ▁ ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁Roman ian ▁expl orer ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁North ▁P ole ▁on ▁sk is ▁during ▁the ▁Russian ▁expedition . ▁ ▁Ant ar ctic ▁exped itions ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁North ▁P ole ▁expedition ▁N ego i ţ ă ▁turned ▁his ▁attention ▁to ▁Ant arct ica . ▁ ▁Ant arct ica ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁har sh ▁environment ▁on ▁the ▁planet . ▁Here ▁we ▁find ▁the ▁dri est ▁atmosphere ▁on ▁the ▁planet , ▁this ▁provide ▁high ▁quality ▁astronom ical ▁studies , ▁atmos pher es ▁studies , ▁research ▁regarding ▁climate ▁changes , ▁magnet ism ▁research . ▁Over ▁Ant arct ics ▁lies ▁the ▁largest ▁o zone ▁hole , ▁research ▁regarding ▁poll ution ▁can ▁be ▁made ▁at ▁this ▁place , ▁from ▁here ▁we ▁can ▁sample ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁meteor ites , ▁find ▁new ▁min er als , ▁some ▁with ▁special ▁qual ities ▁that ▁can ▁become ▁source ▁for ▁new ▁technology . ▁Ant ar ctic ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁ ▁“ bi ological ▁labor atory