Also, they have their OWN search and rescue team following them for this mission. I'd say they've done more to mitigate external pressures than any other "thrill seeker." To claim that this flight is useless is also a bit narrow-minded.
Recently, there were several South Korean scientists lost in the Antarctic. Who knows... the lessons learned from this trip may help improve technology to provide better transportation, including helicopter search and rescue operations, to remote and extreme environments in the cold and other environments.