Ny-Ålesund has been the starting point for many famous polar expeditions, including Roald Amundsen’s and Umberto Nobile’s journey to the North Pole.[3]
The company was founded in 1916 as Kings Bay Kull Company with the intention of operating a coal mine. It was later nationalized, and in 1962 the mine closed in the context of a political crisis in Norway known as the Kings Bay Affair (Kings Bay-saken). A research facility was subsequently set up in at Ny-Ålesund, to be run by the company.[4] From 1964 to 1974, through an agreement with the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), the island housed a Norwegian satellitetelemetry station. Kings Bay resumed primary responsibility for facilities operations in 1974. In the 1990s, research activities expanded in Ny-Ålesund. In 1998 Kings Bay Kull Compani AS changed its name to Kings Bay AS, removing the final reference to coal. Ny-Ålesund has been the starting point for many famous polar expeditions, including Roald Amundsen’s and Umberto Nobile’s journey to the North Pole.[3]
References
^Rolf Bryhn. "Kings Bay AS". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
^Susan Barr. "Ny-Ålesund". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
^ ab"History". King's Bay AS. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
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