Fuel drops weighing one tone each are parachuted out to Byrd Station from McMurdo in 1961. I have nothing specific to learn from this film other than a general overview and familiarization with the situation faced by trying to travel from station to station in Antarctica-- in this case McMurdo to an interior Byrd station.
The concept of an intra-continental "airbus" that would run between all stations was proposed as early as 1968 and again in 1971 but it was never fulfilled. This non-fulfillment is an indication that perhaps it was not possible.
We see Husky dogs in this film which have since been banned (?!). Why would they ban dogs that helped explore Antarctica in the early years?
The size of the Operation Deepfreeze is actually astonishing-- given that no development or mining is taking place. Why are so many resources being devoted to this without economic return?
More to be added to this particular post in coming days. Add your comments and questions below as you're inclined.
The concept of an intra-continental "airbus" that would run between all stations was proposed as early as 1968 and again in 1971 but it was never fulfilled. This non-fulfillment is an indication that perhaps it was not possible.
We see Husky dogs in this film which have since been banned (?!). Why would they ban dogs that helped explore Antarctica in the early years?
The size of the Operation Deepfreeze is actually astonishing-- given that no development or mining is taking place. Why are so many resources being devoted to this without economic return?
More to be added to this particular post in coming days. Add your comments and questions below as you're inclined.
73 SORTIES to the Byrd station??? Why so many? What's really going on there?
ReplyDeleteDid you see this suspicious story, Rick - the evacuation of "Soviet exchange scientist" Leonid Kuperov from Byrd station on 9 April 1961?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/igy1/medevac/kuperov.html
Hoaxing in its finest pre-Berlin wall style.
An alleged mercy flight for Kuperov who made a miraculous recovery and walked straight out into the Soviet Embassy in New Zealand is described:
Arriving at McMurdo, it refueled and waited while weather conditions were studied for the 917 statute mile flight to Byrd. At 1722, with the station still in darkness, it was airborne. In three hours and 25 minutes it landed at Byrd Station.
It remained at the station only 45 minutes, and at 2130 was airborne with the Soviet scientist aboard. Arriving at McMurdo in about three hours (10 April (0040))
There's 3 pages of good images of Byrd in 1960/1 from Deepfreeze here:
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/corps/anttrav1.html
including a map
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/corp2077.htm
wonder why the map doesn't show the traverse from Byrd to the Pole? It's here
http://nsidc.org/data/thermap/antarctic_10m_temps/traverses/notes/notes_byrd-pole.html
Ref: Brecher, H., 1964. Glaciological Observations on the Byrd Station-South Pole Traverse, 1960-1961. J. of Glaciol., 5(39), 339-343.
Yeah, surely they could pick up doggy poop with coldweather pooper scoopers and bring it back, along with the human poop or burn it on site. Or is it the "yellow snow" made famous by Frank Zappa?
I forgot to highlight the plane used in the 1961 mercy dash - a C130
DeleteFelix, can you say specifically what is the anomalous part of the story about Kuberov? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI didn't use the word anomalous, Rick. In light of what we of learned in recent years of media back up stories Kuberov's illness and mercy dash sounds fishy. Can I prove it? No.
DeleteIf you look up the shape of the human womb in the internet it is very similar the shape of the map you drew; I don`t think it`s a mere coincidence
ReplyDelete