(FILES) A photo shows the drifting Tara Polar Station before its launch, in Cherbourg, northwestern France, on October 1, 2024. The Tara Polar Station ship returned to the port of Cherbourg after eight months of testing in the Arctic, before embarking on its first scientific mission in July 2026, the foundation's director announced on February 5, 2026 during a press visit. (Photo by LOU BENOIST / AFP via Getty Images)