IPY

ITASC is an official project of the International Polar Year, which is a large, collaborative scientific programme focused on the Arctic and the Antarctic from March 2007 to March 2009. The IPY is organized through the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The current IPY is the fourth polar year, following those in 1882-3, 1932-3, and 1957-8.  In order to have full and equal coverage of both the Arctic and the Antarctic, IPY 2007-8 covers two full annual cycles from March 2007 to March 2009, involving over 200 projects, with thousands of scientists from over 60 nations examining a wide range of physical, biological and social research topics. The International Polar Year of 1957-8 (also called the International Geophysical Year) led to the drafting of the Antarctic Treaty. Sputnik, the first satellite in space, was launched by the USSR to coincide with the IPY/IGY of 1957/8.