subject: Antarctica For The First Timer Powerhouse Team [print this page] The on time arrival at the airport must have seemed the warmest homecoming after 18 days in the icy Antarctica. Four members of the Antarctica expedition returned home to a hero's reception after nearly three weeks at the bottom of the world. For this reason, it was an extraordinary event and emotional and worthy record of history.
Bad weather condition retained the Antarctica?s scientific quest for about 10 additional days than expected, so as the arrival day finally came, the welcome party was prepared. Close relatives and peers sat on the black plastic airport chairs peep in at the large windows on the landing field and glancing at their watches about an hour before the airplane had reached its destination.
Down the hall, 25 students gathered with teachers and parents, nibbling turkey sandwiches and preparing to pamper their teacher with hugs.
The welcome troops brought a bouquet of heart shaped balloons, a dozen roses and a stack of handmade welcome signs bearing pictures of penguins. The four team members brought two backpacks of meteorites which will be taken photographs, cut open and experimented and shared tales about their accomplished mission.
The expedition also included two retired NASA astronauts, a NASA scientist and a Chicago resident who, contributed significantly in funding part of the expedition. The journey leads the team to the Patriot Hills of Antarctica, South Pole and Thiel Mountains not so high as the Rockies, yet just as stunning.
Safely back in the States, one team member has one complaint about the technology the team took to Antarctica. There was little use for the satellite phones. What they remember from these is what they left behind. Much earlier than expected he will regain a position as a professor of astronomy and geology in a populated continent.
It was not long ago when these people embarked on a similar trip to an unfamiliar territory. The two traveled to Turkey with a scientific team last summer to view the solar eclipse from the coast of the Black Sea.
What they experienced over there is similar to the situation of their unexpected yet extended stay in Antarctica. They stayed for a massive earthquake even if they went there to be able to view the solar eclipse. Measuring at about 5.5 was the magnitude that they felt when the earthquake struck as they were 200 miles away from its epicenter.
Camaraderie on the trip was what he considered to be the best part of the trip and he also said that there was less stress with images of blue fields and snow covered scenery. The group was a little bit of an exclusive club, he said of the expedition team, which included retired NASA scientist.
The bunch was down to earth and the people were easy to converse with. Fun and not egos were favored. Even during their unexpected stay in Antarctica they easily used up the time to read, talk, cross country ski, and ride snowmobiles.
Apart from boots and goggles not to mention heavy gloves there was a 24 year old team member a month ago who also said to reporters and staff members that she will also be wearing an energetic smile for the trip.
Other than her cheerful smile she also wore jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers back home. Her voyage to the Mars like continent was a result of her using space science in her classes. For the students, it was a rare learning experience. Kids tying everything in leads to learning. To have a teacher being an explorer, the kids are living science and living history.
She did some experiments on this trip and just like what the students back home were doing they were on rocks, temperature, and gravity. What they used to send the data to the 11 classrooms were satellite phone and email.
You could say that the questions and the answers were rather comical. The variation among the answers caused the laughter. What she was able to teach the students was that temperatures that can go well below zero plus a snowy desert can change results easily.
