2008-09 Photos - SPTR-2


(oh, in case you were wondering, SPTR stand for South Pole TDRSS Relay...
and TDRSS is the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. NASA acronyms...)

ball

Above, a closeup end-of-season aerial shot from Ella Derbyshire. But first....
dig me
The first step...digging out some of the structure that was put up in February 2008 so it can be modified and expanded.
stick built
Like so...this will support a platform extension on the east side and the stair landing.
more platform
Like so.
gimme shelter
After a bit of platform work, the equipment shelter was set.
top level work
After a bit more work on the platform and radome base ring...
comm center
...here is a good overall view of the area. We are looking roughly north from the berms, the elevated station is behind us. The RF building is on the left (Nick Powell).
earth to base
Time to start assembling the antenna.
 dishing it out



Installing the 4-meter dish (Nick Powell).
put it together
The main pieces of the antenna are assembled.
surface definition poor
Here's a view looking at the other side.
triangles
Assembling the radome...this looks suspiciously similar to the one at Palmer Station (Nick Powell).
on the ball
And the radome is completed.
table top
have a seat
After hooking everything up it was time for testing. Here are a couple of views inside the shelter.


The unlabeled photos are from Dave Smith. The photos by Nick Powell are from the USAP photo library.

What else was happening?

construction photo index | aerial photo index