South Pole Station - Outside the New Elevated Station

The new station is scheduled for completion in 2009, but it's already fully occupied. Anything at the level of the ground (well, ice) will quickly get buried by drifting snow, so the station is elevated to let the wind scour out underneath. Even so, it is expected that it will get drifted-in eventually anyway, so the entire station can be lifted with hydraulic jacks and the supports extended. Some sections have already been lifted a bit due to uneven settling.

At the back of the station are dorm wings. The last wing on the left is the new gym.

The berthing inside the elevated station can hold about 155 people. But during the summer months the population may climb to 260+, so extra berthing is available at the "summer camp". These are Korean-war vintage Jamesways, insulated tents with individual cubbies as rooms.

Some work areas are also in Jamesways, including the logistics buildings, science carpentry, and the electrical shop.

In back of the station is also the cargo yard. It consists of row after row of berms with cargo and supplies stacked on top. It reminds me of that last scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark with an endless warehouse full of crates...

Here's a picture from a distance that lets you see the whole station, complete with an LC-130 taking off. The silver "beer can" on the far left is an unheated stair tower. The tower also has a cargo elevator in it (but it's almost never working).

To be continued...