McMurdo Station photograph

McMurdo Station

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Elevation 1030
Established16 February 1956
Location in Antarctica Ross Island
Ross Dependency
New Zealand
Named forArchibald McMurdo
Administered byUnited States Antarctic Program
National Science Foundation
Date of Reg.
Date of Upd.
ID2381314
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About McMurdo Station


The McMurdo Station is a United States Antarctic research station on the south tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand–claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica.

Australia launches mission to rescue Antarctic researcher

Sep 2,2023 9:31 am

By Graeme BakerBBC News

Australia has launched an urgent operation to rescue a researcher with a " developing medical condition" from The remote Casey outpost in Antarctica.

The Icebreaker RSV Nuyina left from Tasmania last week, The Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) said.

It is travelling thousands of miles to reach The Station after an Air Rescue was ruled out due to harsh conditions.

The AAP said The researcher, an Australian, needs specialist treatment but did not name The condition.

The programme added it had taken weeks to prepare The Nuyina for The Mission , including equipping it with helicopters.

Casey research station is A Journey of 2,139 miles (3,443km) from Hobart in Tasmania And One of three permanent Antarctic stations run by The AAP.

The Nuyina, which cost A$528m ($342m; £271m) to build, has a Top Speed of, or around 18 miles an hour, meaning A Journey of several days.

It is understood that an evacuation by air was not possible - The nearby Wilkins aerodrome near Casey has an ice runway and is often unusable during The harsh winter.

According to reports The Runway would need weeks of preparation to use, meaning sending The Icebreaker would be far quicker.

Medical facilities are limited and only around 20 people live there in The southern winter when conditions are at their worst.

A spokesman for The AAP told The Bbc that The " wellbeing of our people is our highest priority".

" The expeditioner's family is being kept fully informed of The Situation , " it added. " All other personnel on stations are accounted for and safe. "

Australia requires all researchers sent to Antarctica to undergo lengthy medical examinations before deployment.

Evacuations from one of The Most inhospitable areas of The Planet are often complex, expensive, fraught with danger and can require assistance from international partners.

In December 2020, Australia needed help from The US and China to evacuate an expeditioner.

Earlier The same year, an Australian Airbus A319 was sent to Mcmurdo Station to evacuate an unwell American.

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Source of news: bbc.com

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