For over 2 weeks members of my team have been here in McMurdo Station working in a small building on the sea ice runway.
Their job was to begin the unpacking and testing of the specially designed radars that had been shipped from The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) in Lawrence, Kansas to McMurdo Station, Antarctica.
Dr. Fernando Rodriges-Morales an electrical engineer, Cameron Lewis and Logan Smith both graduate students in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas had the equipment assembled and tested by the time the rest of the team arrived.
Fernando and Cameron Lewis test out the radars before installation into the plane
Dr. Fernando Rodriges-Morales testing the equipment in a hut on the sea ice runway.
After the testing was completed in the small building it was time to take everything apart and reassemble it inside the twin otter airplane, which had been modified to make room for all the radar equipment.
Cameron Lewis completes the antenna installation onto the twin otter.
The first day I was here to watch and help when I could, but then it was left to the first three members of the team to finish the job over the next two days as the rest of us had to go to a field survival training out on the ice. This training is commonly referred to as "Happy Camper School'. *** (note: the next journal will be about this school experience.)
When we returned the installation was complete, and after one more day of testing it was ready for its first test flight.
This plane is the platform for all of the CReSIS Radar to be used during the aerial surveys.
Today, December 4th the plane with all the working radars took off for a three hour test flight. The plane flew at 1,500 feet and was a really rough flight...rumor has it that there was a need for the little bags that some airlines provide in the pockets of the seats. This flight didn't have those special bags, so everyone had brought their own. I tell you many people sacrifice comfort all in the name of science. When the flight was over they landed at the new runway, Pegasus, located on the Ross Ice Shelf and returned to McMurdo. Carl Leuschen, the team's principle investigator and electrical engineer, then handed computers to Keith Lehigh and Chad Brown who made several copies or backups of the data. After the data was secured it was then loaded and processed so the CReSIS members of the team could look at the data in a form that lets them make adjustments to the equipment before the next flight.
Dr.Carl Leuschen passes off lap tops of data to Keith Lehigh of Polargrid for backing up and processing.
Keith Lehigh and Chad Brown complete the back-ups of all the data from the first flight.
It is really impressive to witness this team, with all their varied personalities, work so well together. They enjoy a good laugh, shared meal, or hike. However, when it is time to focus on the work at hand I witness dedicated individuals who put in the hours needed to do an incredible job.
Thanks for reading, Trekkers Mr. W