{"id":23963,"date":"2026-10-06T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/?p=23963"},"modified":"2026-10-06T09:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T13:00:09","slug":"earhart-expedition-update-crew-arrives-at-tarawa-prepares-for-departure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/Q4\/earhart-expedition-update-crew-arrives-at-tarawa-prepares-for-departure","title":{"rendered":"Earhart expedition update: Crew arrives at Tarawa, prepares for departure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TARAWA, Kiribati \u2014 Fourteen members of the Taraia Object expedition<\/a> \u2014 the Archaeological Legacy Institute, Purdue Research Foundation and Purdue University\u2019s joint expedition to explore a Pacific island lagoon for Amelia Earhart\u2019s missing plane wreckage \u2014 arrived Tuesday (Oct. 6) at Tarawa, Kiribati, the expedition\u2019s staging area. After linking up with the expedition\u2019s three Kiribati representatives on Tarawa, the team is now complete and ready to begin the sea voyage to Nikumaroro, a remote atoll halfway between Australia and Hawaii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team arrived at approximately 10 a.m. local time following a flight from Nadi, Fiji, where they had spent a day on briefings and training activities. Tarawa is 16 hours ahead of Eastern time in the United States. Team members spent their first day in Tarawa managing logistics, checking equipment and meeting with officials of the Kiribati National Shipping Line ahead of their planned departure at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday (Oct. 7).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Earhart team departs<\/h2>\n

Members of the Taraia Object expedition team at the airport en route to Tarawa. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Earhart team departs<\/h2>\n

Expedition team members Rick Pettigrew and Marc Hagle point out Nikumaroro on a large map. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Earhart team departs<\/h2>\n

Steve Schultz (left) poses for a picture with fellow expedition team members Ren LaRocca and William Wilson. <\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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