Antarctic Winter Rescue Underway

[Chance]

Antarctica is in the middle of winter right now, which usually means scientists stationed there are stranded for all but the most dire of emergencies. Evidently, one of those emergencies is occurring now, and a rescue is presently underway. The Amundsen-Scott research station opened in 1957, and this is only the third time a winter rescue has been attempted. Wired gives a good summary of the problem:

Most jet fuel freezes at temperatures about 30 degrees warmer than the winter average at the station. There are also no paved runways. There is only ice, as far as the eye can see. Actually, the ice stretches far beyond what the eye can see. The Antarctic ice sheet is about one and a half times the size of the continental United States, and it’s more than 9,000 feet thick at the pole. The plane needs to land on the ice and snow itself—with skis.

If you're curious to learn more about why this is so extraordinary, check out "Antarctica: A Year On The Ice", available on Netflix.

[41magfan]

One of my shooting/motorcycle riding buds did a stint in Antarctica back in the 70's while in college. He's full of interesting stories about his experience there.

[Chance]

One of my shooting/motorcycle riding buds did a stint in Antarctica back in the 70's while in college. He's full of interesting stories about his experience there.

I don't know if people that do that are brave, or nuts.

[TiroFijo]

Antarctic winter rescue is for sissies, real men like Leonid Rogozov just perform surgery on themselves if needed:

[Chance]

Antarctic winter rescue is for sissies, real men like Leonid Rogozov just perform surgery on themselves if needed:

Wiki for those that are not familiar. They talked about him in that documentary I linked to. Hard man.

[41magfan]

I don't know if people that do that are brave, or nuts.

He's an interesting chap. He summited Mt. Rainier once and captured the moment with a Hasselblad that costs as much as a nice used car.