On Oct. 28, NASA’s C-130 Hercules successfully touched down at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, completing a crucial leg of its journey to deliver the Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO). This observatory is part of NASA’s Astrophysics Explorers Program and will be launched on a scientific balloon mission in December 2023.
The mission’s journey began on October 17 when the C-130 made its first stop at Fort Cavazos, Texas, to load the GUSTO observatory and its instrument team. Along the way, the aircraft made additional stops for servicing and crew rest, including Travis Air Force Base, California; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Pago Pago, American Samoa; and Christchurch, New Zealand, before reaching its final destination, McMurdo, Antarctica.
GUSTO, set to fly aboard a massive zero-pressure scientific balloon roughly the size of a football stadium, will embark on a 55-day mapping mission to study a portion of the Milky Way Galaxy and the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud. Equipped with a telescope featuring carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen emission line detectors, GUSTO will measure the interstellar medium—the material found between stars—and trace its entire lifecycle.
The observatory’s choice to launch from Antarctica ensures ample observation time aloft, access to astronomical objects, and solar power provided by the austral summer in the polar region.
This mission to Antarctica presented significant challenges. Coordinating international clearances, cargo configurations, logistical support, and specialized training were all part of the extensive planning efforts by NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility Aircraft Office.
A unique aspect of this mission was the NASA C-130 aircraft’s first-ever journey to Antarctica. This presented challenges such as long-haul cargo flight and dealing with large time-zone changes. The crew was supported by mandatory rest days at strategic locations to maintain their circadian rhythms.
Weather posed another challenge. The crew had to adjust flight routes and timing to navigate across oceans with no radar coverage, using DOD and civilian weather agencies to identify hazardous conditions. For the final leg of the journey, NASA’s C-130 was chosen as the dedicated asset due to its experienced crew and support team.
The successful delivery of GUSTO to McMurdo Station marks a significant milestone, bringing NASA one step closer to its mission to explore the cosmos and advance our understanding of the universe.
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