The seventeenth scientific expedition to Antarctica comprising 51 members including three German scientists from the university of Dresden (for conducting joint studies on planetary geodesy), was launched on 8 December, 1997 from the Antarctic Study Centre at Goa.This team included 25 members to winter-over in Antarctica.

The seventeenth expedition which arrived in Antarctica on 3rd January, 1998 conducted several experiments that will contribute to the international scientific campaigns. In addition to the ongoing scientific programmes, several new experiments were initiated. These included atmospheric studies on VLF propogation, planetary geodetic studies , human immune response studies , desiccation tolerance of cyanobacteria , and biodiversity of various species like lichens (and the heavy metal content in them), snowbank fungi and moss inhibiting fauna. The expedition returned to India on 31-3-1998. The results of the experiments carried out during the 17th expedition are presently being compiled and analysed.