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A
four-year project to test the possibility of transporting
scientific equipment and material by ground from a field
station located on Antarctica's coastal edge to another
deep in the continent's center has ended in success. The
National Science Foundation (NSF) convoy returned to NSF's
McMurdo Station on Jan. 14, after logging more than 2,056
miles (3,300-kilometers) during its roundtrip.
Officials said the successful traverse demonstrates that
using tracked vehicles to tow cargo is a viable alternative
for supplying the world's most remote scientific research
station. Currently, all cargo and personnel arrive at
NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station by aircraft.
"This historic achievement sets the stage for fuller
realization of the scientific potential of the new South
Pole Station," said Karl A. Erb, director of NSF's
Office of Polar Programs (OPP).
NSF manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, which supports
and coordinates all U.S. science conducted on the southernmost
continent.
The tracked vehicles staffed by a crew of seven men and
one woman, towed sleds of cargo, fuel, and life-support
modules left McMurdo on Nov. 11, 2005. During the 1028-mile
(1654-kilometer) trip to the Pole, the tractor-train ascended
more than 9,300 feet (2,900 meters) and crossed numerous
crevasse fields from sea level to the top of the Polar
Plateau.
The convoy arrived at the South Pole on Dec. 23, 2005
(local time). U.S. stations in Antarctica keep New Zealand
time.
In each of the past three years, traverses have covered
steadily increasing distances between McMurdo and the
Pole, encountering such difficulties as crevasse fields
and enormous areas of soft snow that delayed their passage.
This year the traverse reached its goal and delivered
nearly 110 tons (218,465 kilograms) of cargo. The payload,
which included two tractors, is equivalent to 11 loads
of equipment and supplies aboard an LC-130.
"Reaching the Pole safely and returning to McMurdo
over the same track represents an outstanding accomplishment,"
said OPP's logistics manager, David Bresnahan. "Delivering
cargo to Pole on this traverse is beyond our expectations
for a proof of concept."
The overland transport capability removes two major engineering
and logistical constraints--cargo size and weight-- that
have limited the design of large scientific instruments
and infrastructure. Until now, now everything at the Pole,
including the new South Pole station and the large telescopes
there, had to be designed in individual sections that
could be transported in the cargo bay of LC-130 aircraft
and then reassembled on site.
The ground transport mechanism is also well-suited for
the delivery of the large quantities of fuel needed at
the station. Moreover, by providing an alternative to
air supply, the traverse will free up planes for the support
of scientific research in remote parts of the continent.
Aircraft will always be a key component of the Antarctic
logistics stream because they can deliver personnel and
time-sensitive cargo quickly to essentially any part of
the continent.
With completion of the proof-of-concept traverse, NSF
will purchase equipment to implement the full-scale traverse
capacity for resupply of the South Pole station as recommended
by OPP's Office Advisory Committee.
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National
Science Foundation -
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