AMERICAN EXPLORATION
During the 1960's, the National Science Foundation
sent teams to traverse the plateau of Eastern Antarctica
A pair of Tucker 843 Snocats were maintained by
Traverse Engineers from the University of Wisconsin
After hauling six teams over 5000 miles, the Snocats
were abandoned during the Queen Maud Land Traverse III
Recovering the
Tucker 843 Snocats
is our mission
Surveys were taken every three miles that required team members to dig snow pits, drill ice cores and blast dynamite
These methods provided a rich data set for mapping the continent below the ice
Ground Truth
Surveys were taken every three miles that required team members to dig snow pits, drill ice cores and blast dynamite
Radar Echo Sounding provided a rich data set for mapping the continent below the ice
TraverseRoutes
TraverseRoutes
1961: DDT
Ross Ice Shelf
1962: McMurdo
South Pole Station
1964: SPS
Horlick Mtns
1965: QMLT-I
Pole of Inaccessibility
1966: QMLT-II
Plateau Station
1968: QMLT-III
Shackleton Range
Queen Maud Land Traverse
A radio transmission was received from the National Science Foundation
"Radar Echo Sounding
can now be done from the air
There is no point in driving any further
Pack your personal belongings
and scientific instruments
Get on the C-130 that will be landing
Abandon everything else"
The Tucker 843 Snocats are testament
to American exploration and must be
repatriated for historic preservation
Recovery Mission