The expedition will be led by Inge Solheim, internationally recognized polar guide and expedition leader. Inge is considered one of the world’s leading adventure guides, having led more than twenty expeditions to the North Pole and guided high-profile global expeditions, including the Walking With The Wounded missions. He is known for Leading expeditions in extreme polar environments, Guiding the first blind man to the South Pole, Serving as head of safety and logistics for multiple BBC productions and Working with global explorers and public figures on pioneering journeys.
About the Expedition
In April 2026, the Nader Sisters and the Space Prize Foundation will embark on a landmark, science-driven expedition to Svalbard, Norway. Guided by renowned polar explorer Inge Solheim, the team will spend a week traversing dramatic glacier valleys and fjords by snowmobile and cross-country skis, carrying their own supplies through one of the planet's most extreme environments.
Far from a standard Arctic trek, this journey serves as the field testing ground for Xtreme Research the first-ever study examining how extreme polar conditions affect women’s reproductive, sleep, and circadian health. In partnership with NYU Langone Health and the University of Arizona, the team will use advanced wearable technology and biosampling to track how the female body adapts to 24-hour daylight, isolation, and sub-zero temperatures. By testing human endurance in conditions that mirror those found in space, this expedition will provide critical, first-of-its-kind data for the future of human spaceflight and women's health on Earth.
In partnership with the Nader Sisters, NYU Langone Health, and the University of Arizona, this expedition will contribute to the first-ever study examining how extreme polar environments affect women’s reproductive, sleep, and circadian health.
Titled Xtreme Research, the study explores how cold temperatures, isolation, and disrupted light-dark cycles conditions that mirror those found in space affect women’s physiological adaptation. Using wearable technology and biosampling, data will be collected before, during, and after the expedition to track sleep quality, menstrual cycles, and circadian rhythm shifts.
These findings will address a critical gap in medical and space-science research, providing vital insights for women’s health on Earth and the feasibility of long-duration space travel.