McMurdo Station
McMurdo Station sits on the southern tip of Ross Island in Antarctica, 2,200 miles (3,500 km) due south of New Zealand, and serves as the logistics hub for half the continent. Established in 1956, it is now reported to be Antarctica's largest community, but was the original site for British explorer Robert Falcon Scott.Features include a harbour, an airport, a helicopter pad and over 100 buildings. The primary focus of the work done here is science, but the summer residents (approximately 1,000 in the summer, shrinks to less than 200 in the winter) process the cargo brought in to support the field camps.
In April 2004, three sick workers were rescued from the station by a United States Air Force medevac plane.
Facilities at the station include:
- DASI telescope
- National Science Foundation Headquarters
- Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (CSEC)
- Observation Hill
- Scott's Hut
- Williams Field airport