27 November 2018 On The Ice!

A small step for man, a giant leap for Mike Penn

The airplane was dark inside and the light outside was so bright that I really couldn't see outside until I was out of the airplane. The cold air and the wind hit my face as I stepped down the metal stairs to the ice. I had to remember to think about not falling down the steps as I looked around. We were on a huge, flat expanse of ice that stretched for miles in every direction. The sun was bright and the white ice and snow made it even brighter. Sunglasses were a must.

Walking to the "bus" to ride to McMurdo Station.

These USAP participants are walking from their C-17 toward "Ivan the Terra Bus" for transport to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The iconic "Ivan The Terrabus" has been transporting USAP participants from the ice sheet airfield to McMurdo for decades.

The internet connection is not very good and the science comes first (before my need to post pictures)! My team and I have been busy getting our laboratory space organized in Crary Lab, going through all of our required pieces of training and briefings and generally jumping right into our project. There is no time to waste, the summer here is very short.

Fun Fact

The station is roughly 3,864 km (2,415 miles) south of Christchurch, New Zealand, and 1,360 km (850 miles) north of the South Pole.

Stay tuned, I have so much more to show and tell you about!