The station was originally constructed to support the International Geophysical Year in 1957. It is located about 300 m (1000 ft) from the Geographic South Pole, and is drifting towards the pole at the rate of about 10 m per year.
The station is supplied between October and February by numerous flights of ski-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Wintering over at the station is notorious for its danger and stress. In 1999, the winter-over physician, Dr. Jerri Nielsen[?] discovered she had breast cancer. She had to rely on self-administered chemotherapy using supplies from a daring July cargo drop, then was picked up in an equally dangerous mid-October landing.
Search Encyclopedia
|
Featured Article
|