The Malaspina Expedition (1789–1794) is a five-year maritime scientific exploration commanded by Alessandro Malaspina and José de Bustamante y Guerra.
Although the expedition receives its name from Malaspina, he always insists on giving Bustamante an equal share of command.
Bustamante however acknowledges Malaspina as the "head of the expedition" since the beginning.
The expedition is funded by the Spanish government and originally pursues strictly scientific goals, in the same fashion as the voyages of James Cook and Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse.
Some of the leading scientists at the time collect an impressive amount of scientific data that even surpasses what is collected during Cook's expedition, but due to Malaspina's involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow the government, he is jailed shortly upon return.
Most of the expedition's reports and collections are put away unpublished, and do not see the light until the late nineteenth century.
