Month: December 2014
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Exploring an LC-130 Hercules at Williams Field, Antarctica
In this video, Lt. Roger Shapiro gives me a brief tour of an LC-130 Hercules, Number 93-3300 or 33300 or 73-3300 or CN 382-4508, as it’s parked at Williams Field outside of McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This Herc is specially adapted for polar duty, and in the video we go over a bunch of the special…
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Investigating SPIDER Polarimeter Long Duration Balloon Payload
One of the most interesting science facilities at McMurdo is the NASA Long Duration Balloon Facility. This site, on the ice shelf and well away from anything else is the assembly and launch area for extreme high altitude balloons, carrying a variety of science payloads. During my trip out there, I was fortunate enough to…
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The Acid Lounge Returns – To Antarctica!
Believe it or not, McMurdo Station has its own radio station – 104.5 FM Ice Radio. The station broadcasts with 50 watts around the McMurdo Area, and is able to be heard as far away as Williams Field and Pegasus Airstrip. Additionally, the station is broadcast locally on an AFRTS TV channel. This evening, I…
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Happy Holidays from McMurdo!
McMurdo’s holiday party this year was fantastic! Including family photos slideshow, multiple bands, beer and wine bars, chillout room, and of course, a santa+elves photobooth.
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Launching a Meterological Balloon from McMurdo
Weather plays a very important part of our lives in Antarctica, and many operations live by the daily weather forecasts. Although there’s a distinct lack of the latest and greatest weather gear on the ice, met balloons are launched twice a day to help build up the daily weather forecasts. I had the opportunity to…
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McMurdo’s Ice Shelf Airport – Willy Field
Here at McMurdo, we have a number of airfields used for different missions. Willy Field is located on the McMurdo Ice Shelf, and therefore can be used year-round, even when the floating sea ice has melted. Only ski-equipped aircraft land here, including LC-130H, and DHC Twin Otters. Earlier today I took a quick trip out…
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Racing at McMurdo Station
Antarctica is filled with interesting, fit, adventurous, competitive people – and as a result, there are a bunch of races every year. Last time I was at the South Pole, I ran one big race – the South Pole Marathon. This year, while I was at McMurdo Station waiting for my flight out to WAIS…
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Celebrating Chanukah at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Chanukah is a celebration, no matter where you are. This year at McMurdo, we used “Hut 10”, a special events building, to host a fun Chanukah party. A few pics..
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Exploring Scott’s Discovery Hut and Hut Point, Antarctica
Scott’s Discovery Hut is located on the outskirts of McMurdo Station, and is a short walk from the center of town. A bit of background, and some photos of my recent exploration of the area: From Wikipedia: Discovery Hut was built by Robert Falcon Scott during the Discovery Expedition of 1901–1904 in 1902 and is…
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Tracking Satellites in McMurdo at NASA’s Near Earth Network Ground Station
https://youtu.be/Jn5FpYmz1Ck One of the more interesting facilities at McMurdo station is NASA’s NEar Earth Network Ground Station. The facility is comprised of a server and management office in McMurdo proper, as well as a large satellite dish, covered with a radome, on the edge of Arrival Heights, just outside of town. From NASA: October 3,…
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McMurdo Station’s Hospital
Currently, McMurdo Station is hosting a little over 800 people in an industral, dangerous, busy town about as far away from anywhere as you can get. Naturally, with so many people, there’s the occassional sickness and injury. To deal with that, there’s a complete hospital and medical staff waiting to take care of any medical…
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Exploring the Pressure Ridges of McMurdo Sound
In McMurdo Sound, the McMurdo Ice Shelf cascades into the sea. pushing and squeezing the frozen sea ice against the hut point peninsula where McMurdo Station and Scott Base are located. This pushing and squeezing of the floating sea ice creates dramatic pressure ridges in the ice, which are beautiful and memorizing to explore. A…
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McMurdo’s General Store – Anything You Want In The Middle of Nowhere
Since I’ve been stuck at McMurdo Station, Antarctica for the past week, I’ve had numerous opportunities to shop at the McMurdo General Store. This is the place on station to get gifts, souvineers, clothing, movies, liquor, and just about anything else you could need to feel comfortable. In addition to just providing general goods, interestingly,…
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An Antarctic Thrift Shop: McMurdo’s Skua
At McMurdo, lots of people transit though on a daily basis – and not everybody needs everything they brought with them. To effectively recycle unwanted clothing and gear, McMurdo has a bit of a free thrift shop, called Skua. The name comes from the Skua birds that inhabit Ross Island, and frequently scavenge dropped food!
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Observation Hill
Observation Hill is a small mountain that looms over McMurdo station to the east. It’s a fairly steep, but easy climb, and gives views of the entire surrounding area, including the Long Duration Balloon launch facility on the McMurdo Ice Sheet. During my stay in McMurdo, I hiked it a few times. A few pics…
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My First Penguin in Antarctica
Despite the time I’ve spent here in Antarctica, up until last week I had never actually seen a penguin. That all changed when I was biking from McMurdo Station across the frozen sea ice out to Willy Field airfield. As I was riding along, I noticed a van of people stopped on the ice looking…
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The Antarctic Crash of C-121 Lockheed Constellation “Pegasus”
A short distance from McMurdo station, on the McMurdo Ice Shelf lies the wreckage of the C-121 Lockheed Constellation “Pegasus”, from which the Pegasus Airfield gets its name. During my stay in McMurdo, I had the opportunity to travel to the resting place of the aircraft to investigate. Background, From AbandonedPlaygrounds.com: On October 8, 1970,…
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The National Science Foundations Central Offices at McMurdo – The Chalet
At McMurdo, the National Science Foundation uses a building called the Chalet as their central offices – this includes office space for the senior representative, high level administrative staff, travel staff, as well as general reception and meeting spaces for science and program related meetings. It’s a beautiful building, and a pleasure to visit. A…
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How To Gear Up For An Antarctic Science Expedition Part 2: Extreme Cold Weather Gear
In preparation for departure to the ice, United States Antarctic Program members receive standard issue Antarctic Extreme Cold Weather Gear. This year, since I’m deploying to a remote field camp, I was issued a bit more specialzed gear. This was the first of many gear issues for my team as we gear up for deployment…