Purdue: Planned Amelia Earhart expedition postponed until 2026

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A planned expedition to locate Amelia Earhart’s lost aircraft has been postponed until 2026.

According to a news release from Purdue University, the postponement was announced on Monday. A joint venture between Purdue University, the Purdue Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute, the expedition was originally scheduled to launch from Majuro in the Marshall Islands on Nov. 4.

The expedition was first announced in July. According to previous reports,

the crews were aiming to travel to the island of Nikumaroro in the Pacific Ocean to confirm whether the Taraia Object, a visual anomaly seen in satellite imagery, is the final resting place of Earhart’s aircraft.

Earhart, who worked at Purdue University, was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as a pilot. According to previous reports, Earhart disappeared as she was seeking to become the first woman to fly around the world in 1937.

The release said that the expedition is delayed as the team continues to work through additional stages of the permit approval process with the Kiribati government. Officials also said that with the onset of the South Pacific cyclone season, a safe departure would not be able to be made later in 2025.

“Postponing a complex project like this poses logistical and financial challenges for us and our partners, but we have to take it in stride,” said Richard Pettigrew, executive director of ALI. “We’ve overcome other challenges to this project over the past four years, and we will get past this one, too. Because of the compelling evidence we have in front of us, we have to go to Nikumaroro and get a close look at the Taraia Object. Rest assured that we will do just that, so stay tuned! We will have a revised project schedule worked out soon.”

Officials said the team will “continue positive engagement with Kiribati with plans to go to Nikumaroro as soon as possible,” and when it is safe to do so.

“Maritime expeditions require thorough preparation and numerous clearances. Our project required many approvals at multiple levels of the Kiribati government, and we benefited from cooperation and assistance from officials in Tarawa,” said expedition member Steve Schultz, Purdue University’s senior vice president and general counsel. “This is a real-time example of Purdue’s well-known ‘persistent pursuit.’ We have gained valuable insights throughout this process and are very confident and resolved to continue this quest with a planned 2026 departure.”