all photos
[11/15(Tu) => South Pole]
6AM Got up, breakfast; 7AM check-in
8-11AM I'm now on a LC-130 ski-equipped turboprop cargo aircraft w/ ~25 passengers; because there was not enough seats in the cabin, i got to sit in the cockpit!! We keep going up in altitude as we climb this continent. Just heard the weather's not looking good at the Pole, so we may need to turn back... this is common. Half the passengers in this plane are ones who had to turn back yesterday due to poor weather. I see a vast smooth landscape and think, ok maybe i won't mind going on an Antarctic expedition... but then I see mountains, huge cliffs, cracks, and glaciers, and think otherwise.
11AM Landed. -35°C, windchill -53°C. lunch, orientation. There are currently 236 people at the South Pole.
Q1(Ryan). What does it feel like to breathe the cold air outside? How does it feel on your skin?
=) It feels like a cold winter in Michigan :) When I got off the aircraft and took some breaths through the nose, my nose quickly felt like it was gonna freeze, so I began breathing through my mouth. But then I started breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose because that warmed up my nose :) The exposed part of the skin (nose, around mouth) feels stingy from windchill after a while.
1-6PM Felt fine, but played safe and just cleaned my room, set up internet connection, and relaxed for the afternoon. Please take Robert's nice virtual tour of the South Pole!
6-7PM dinner, then went to bed by 9PM so I can get in the habit of waking up early.
[11/16(We) Dark Sector]
4:30 Got up after going to pee 3 times during the night.
9-10AM Went out to check our cargo. The snow is very dry and feels like corn starch -- maybe walking on the lunar soil feels similar...??
1-3:30PM Walked ~1 km to the "Dark Sector" (where our lab is) -- we have to cross the runway every time! Went to the Dark Sector Lab where we'll set up our telescope -- it was still under construction :( Tested email thru Iridium satellite. Went back by myself, but wasn't sure where I was allowed to walk.
Q3(Lindsey). Is your food frozen?
=) Fortunately no. A lot of the food seems to be flown in without begin frozen. The food here is probably much better than astronaut food -- we even get fresh fruits and vegetables!
[11/17(Th) Day 3]
4:30 Woke up after only 1 pee during the night.
8-8:45 Teleconference w/ our team back in the US.
10:30-12:30 Went again to the Dark Sector Lab, but only some progress and still not ready for us to move in...
Q4(Jon). Why is it called the Dark Sector Lab?
=) It's in a sector of the South Pole Station that is kept "dark" from radio noise. In the photo to the right, I'm standing on the roof of the Dark Sector Lab. You can see another building with a big radio telescope in this dark sector. Further away on the right is the new station building where I live (it's brownish because it's made of plywood!). Just to the left of this station, you can see the famous dome.
10PM Went to bed.
[11/18(Fr) snow mobile]
4:30 Woke up for the 1st pee and couldn't believe it was already time to wake up!
8-10AM Checked back on the Dark Sector Lab, but still not ready! :(
10-11AM Went to the South Pole Station Dome for snow mobile training. It's fun, but they're so stinky and must be polluting the air so much! I noticed everybody leaves them on when they're inside and stinks up the surrounding air, so I asked the trainer about it. He said we should leave them on because it's hard to restart it. I don't think it's hard enough to restart it that it's worth polluting this precious environment!
Lunch: Speaking of the environment,
[11/19(Sa) A day inside]
7:30 Woke up. Today, we were stilll not allowed to move our stuff inside our building yet, so I had to stay home.
11pm Went to sleep after a film showing party. It's a bit strange having a Saturday night party when it's very bright outside!
[11/20(Su) Finally!]