Amelia Earhart Search Expedition Postponed to 2026 Amid Weather Challenges

In November 2025, researchers from the Purdue Research Foundation and the Archaeological Legacy Institute had planned to depart for the remote Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific to investigate a satellite anomaly known as the "Taraia Object." The expedition, aimed at determining whether the object could be the remains of Earhart's plane, has now been postponed to 2026 due to the onset of the South Pacific cyclone season.

The decision comes as the team awaits additional clearance from the Kiribati government and faces seasonal weather challenges in the Pacific during the winter months. Earhart, a pioneering aviator, disappeared in 1937 while attempting to fly around the world.

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum expert Dorothy Cochrane has previously dismissed popular theories about Earhart's fate, such as her living as a castaway or being captured by the Japanese. Cochrane stated that Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were on the right path to reach the nearby Howland Island, but were unable to locate the small island due to radio communication issues before running out of fuel.