Race To Complete New Station In Antarctica

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30044, 31 January 1963, Page 14

Race To Complete New Station In Antarctica

McMURDO STATION, January 30. Five United States scientists are rushing to complete the installation of research equipment at Eights station, the new scientific station in the Antarctic, so that they may begin research programmes before the winter sets in.

The new station, at the foot ot the Palmer Peninsula more foan 1500 miles from McMutdo station, was occupied 20 days after the first United States Navy Hercules began to fly building units to the site on January 5. The scientific programme at the new station sriß be devoted entirely to research in upper-atmosphere physics. AR toe research wUI be conducted under grants from the National Foundation. Hercules aircraft of the Navy’s VX6 Squadron delivered the 11 trailer units that make up the station in as many flights. There the buildings were erected by 10 seabees under the command ofLieutenant E. Sieber. , Eight at the units are Joined into one structure. In this are sleeping quarters for the five scientists and six STUS SEAT3E KMCactl nßwp flutter* apace for foe aurora, ionosphere ' and meteorological research programmes, fwosep-

arate units will be used tor geomagnetic studies and another tor the very-low-fre-quency programme. All the unite were completely prefabricated. including wiring and interior fixtures, before they were shipped to McMurdo Sound.

When the Hercules complete the delivery of scientific equipment in mid-February they will have flown more than 100,000 miles to establish Eights station. The 11 men at the station will then be on their own until the first resupply flight reaches them in the spring possibly the middle of October. The nearby wood and canvas buildings of a temporary station constructed last year wiR be maintained by the men for emergency use. Two emergency supply caches, including a power supply unit are now being laid out some distance from the main station.