Fall Expedition Targets Earhart Mystery on Nikumaroro

A 16-person Purdue-led expedition will sail to Nikumaroro to examine the Taraia object, a lagoon anomaly some researchers believe could be Amelia Earhart’s Electra 10E. The team will dredge sediments and survey the lagoon edge to determine if the aircraft is there, with a full excavation and potential Purdue custody planned if wreckage is found. Delays due to weather and Kiribati approvals have pushed the mission to fall, as researchers weigh decades of theories—from Earhart and Noonan running out of fuel near Howland Island to the possibility of Nikumaroro survival.