Still finding time for fun in our last days

We took a break from packing up the lab today to visit LDB, the long duration balloon project site. To get there we had to catch a shuttle that drove us out of MacTown, past the New Zealand base, and out onto the ice sheet. LDB projects are under the purview of NASA and NSF. The scientists and engineers build payloads, which are gondolas with expensive scientific instruments that are lifted into the stratosphere by huge balloons. We got a tour of payload 2, which is the GUSTO project (www.nasa.gov/event/gusto/). They are launching a kind of telescope in a couple of weeks that will measure the chemical signatures of star formation and life cycle. Antarctica is an ideal location for launch because there are no cities and the winds run reliably counterclockwise around the continent, keeping the balloon aloft for days (they are aiming for at least 55). I am not allowed to share pictures of the actual payload, but I can share some other pictures of the site. (If you want to see pictures of the payload, I can share them with individuals.)

The payload control center.

The buildings that house the payloads are the tallest on the continent. They are also on skis so they can be moved off the project site in winter to avoid large drifts of snow.

The truck is used to launch the payload once the attached balloon is released.

My dorm neighbor, Daniel, is an engineer from Johns Hopkins who works on the payload and he gave us a tour. He explained how temperature is a big concern because it can vary extensively depending on if the telescope is facing towards or away from the sun (or if the mission continues into the time of year when the sun actually sets). The telescope gets its energy from large solar panels that will be attached to the sides and it has about 10 batteries that store the captured solar energy (these batteries actually discharged on the voyage over and they are eagerly awaiting an emergency shipment of new ones).

We were also excited to visit LDB because we had heard that the food is very good. We were not disappointed! Everything was well prepared and delicious and the galley was intimate and cozy. Adela stashed a bunch of double chocolate mint chip cookies to bring back with us.

After we got back we made a quick trip to one of the field sites that we marked but didn't end up using as a sampling site to retrieve the last of our flags. It was a beautiful afternoon and we enjoyed our last ride out onto the sea ice.

Katarina enjoying a ritual connection with the sea ice.