 The British Antarctic Expedition 1910, also known as the Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913), was led by Robert Falcon Scott who had previously commanded the Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic in 1901–04.
The main objective was "to reach the South Pole and to secure for the British Empire the honour of this achievement".
The expedition had further objectives in scientific research and geographical exploration and, although it was a private venture, it had unofficial blessings from the British Government, the Admiralty and the Royal Geographical Society.
The expedition carried out a comprehensive scientific programme, and explored Victoria Land and the Western Mountains. A journey to Cape Crozier in August 1911 was the first extended sledging journey in the depths of the Antarctic winter.
The appearance in the south of Roald Amundsen's Norwegian party turned Scott's polar quest into a race to reach the South Pole first. Scott led a five-man team which reached the Pole on 17 January 1912, to find that Amundsen's team had preceded them. On their return journey Scott and his four comrades all perished, due to a combination of exhaustion, hunger and extreme cold. Their records, retrieved by a search party eight months later, ensured that their story would be known.
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