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Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Reports
Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Reports

Keith’s note: Astrobiologist Dale Andersen is back in Antarctica – and Lake Untersee – for another field season of Astrobiology research. Dale’s work is coordinated through the SETI Institute. We’ll be posting his updates here as has been the case since the 1990s. You can find an archive of the reports here. The latest reports:

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 19, 2024
Astrobiology Does Not Have To Be Boring, NASA
Astrobiology Does Not Have To Be Boring, NASA

Keith’s note: In the ‘Star Trek Strange New Worlds’ Second Season episode “Under The Cloak of War” there are battle scenes that feature military base with a lot of tents. Those tents were bought by the production company from the manufacturer Heimplanet. By coincidence, astrobiologist, SCUBA explorer, and adventurer Dale Andersen had several of these tents at his base camp at Lake Untersee, Antarctica in 2023. One thing led to another and now Heimplanet has a blog post on Dale’s expedition and their tent referencing my Astrobiology.com website and Star Trek Strange New Worlds. Life imitating art imitating life etc. C’mon NASA SMD, you need to push the envelope a lot further as you tell the world about your various Astrobiology projects. Your outreach is paltry and boring. Full story: That Time Star Trek Tents Were Actually Used In Antarctica.

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  • NASA Watch
  • March 26, 2024
That TBD Artemis III Lunar Landing Date
That TBD Artemis III Lunar Landing Date

Keith’s note: On 14 Dec 1911 Roald Amundsen and his party reached the South Pole. NASA plans to land a crew near the south pole of the Moon – but still does not know what year that will happen. And we really have no indication as to which year NASA will announce what the lunar landing date year is. Just sayin’

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 14, 2023
The Antarctic Treaty And The Artemis Accords
The Antarctic Treaty And The Artemis Accords

Keith’s note: 56 Nations have signed the Antarctic Treaty and 33 have signed the Artemis Accords. Given more than a half century of global, peaceful collaboration in Antarctica we can now work toward a similar mode of cooperation in space – for everyone, everywhere. Alas, you’d think that on #AntarcticaDay that NASA OIIR or NASA PAO or someone at NASA HQ might stop to note the resonance between these two similar efforts. A worthy goal would be for NASA to seek to equal – and perhaps surpass – the size and extent of the successful Antarctic Treaty. But no. They just do photo ops at embassies.

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  • NASA Watch
  • December 1, 2023
More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica
More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Dale Andersen: “The weather at Lake Untersee has been rough lately. Following the test run of our tents with a small storm that rolled through last week with 70 mph winds, our team of 7 faced the might of a 105 mph (159 kph)blizzard at Lake Untersee over the last several days. Some tents were deliberately collapsed to avoid destruction, while others suffered damage in the storm. Yet, like the Phoenix rising from ashes, we rallied, and, piece by piece we resurrected our camp, a true display of teamwork and resilience in the face of nature’s challenges. #AntarcticaStrong #SciencePrevails – here is an audio recording of a typical night (last night) with winds hitting the tent walls.” See: Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 15 November 2023: More Bad Weather At Lake Untersee.

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  • NASA Watch
  • November 15, 2023
Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica
Bad Weather At Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Hi Keith, Yesterday here at Lake Untersee, we experienced a day of contrasting weather. It started off beautifully with plenty of sunshine and very little wind. The highlight of the day, our seasoned field team member, Birgit Sattler, rejoined us, arriving via a Twin Otter aircraft operated by Ultima-Antarctic Logistics and operated by the skilled Ken Borek pilots. The serene weather, however, took a dramatic turn in the afternoon. Winds began to surge, reaching gusts of over 70 mph. This sudden change in weather conditions led to the unfortunate loss of one of our North Face Dome tents. We acted swiftly during the ground blizzard that had formed to secure the tent and its contents by weighing it down with rocks. More

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  • NASA Watch
  • November 7, 2023
Lake Untersee Update – Using 23rd Century Star Trek Tents In Antarctica Today
Lake Untersee Update – Using 23rd Century Star Trek Tents In Antarctica Today

Dale Andersen: “We’re excited to embark on a journey of discovery at Lake Untersee, a mysterious and untouched gem nestled in the heart of Antarctica. Our mission is to unravel the secrets of this ancient lake and its surrounding oasis, where time-locked paleolake basins and permafrost hold clues to understanding our planet’s past and future. Join us as we delve into this fascinating world, where science meets adventure in one of […]

  • NASA Watch
  • November 5, 2023
Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Reports
Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Reports

Keith’s note: as has been the case since the 1990s I will be featuring reports from my long time friend Dale Andersen as he continues his astrobiology exploration work at Lake Untersee, Antarctica. You can find an archive of the reports here. Meanwhile here’s the latest: “Keith, After our arrival, we settled into one of the small huts at the ice runway operated by Ultima-Antarctic Logistics (formerly ALCI) and began preparing for the 125 km traverse to Lake Untersee. The past two days have been highly productive. UAL, having collaborated with us for multiple seasons, understands our needs quite well. Working together, we are approaching our departure date, potentially set for next Wednesday. We still have a significant amount of work to complete before beginning the traverse. Today’s conditions are challenging, featuring blowing snow, low visibility, and periodic whiteouts, so outdoor activities will be limited.More.

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  • NASA Watch
  • October 30, 2023
Daring Mighty Things Then, Now, And In The Future
Daring Mighty Things Then, Now, And In The Future

Keith’s note: I came across this photo by Morgan Cable standing in an ice cave and was instantly reminded of the iconic photo taken by Herbert Ponting in Antarctica in 1911. I hope NASA PAO starts to pay a little more attention to the parallels between terrestrial and extraterrestrial exploration as we move out into the solar system with humans and droids. Indeed, that core notion was the impetus for a NASA Administrator’s Symposium that Astronaut John Grunsfeld and I organized for NASA in 2004: “Risk and Exploration Earth, Sea And The Stars” (proceedings for which I was co-editor) Photos: [LEFT] NASA JPL scientist Dr. Morgan Cable tweeted via @starsarecalling on 16 September 2023. Her caption says: “Mapped a moulin today with LIDAR! We’re here at Athabasca Glacier in Canada to do science and engineering testing for the Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) Project @NASAJPL Dare mighty things!” [RIGHT] This photo was taken by Herbert Ponting on 5 January 1911 during Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s ‘Terra Nova Expedition’ aka ‘The British Antarctic Expedition’. Charles Wright and Thomas Griffith Taylor are shown standing in the ice cave or “grotto”. Imagine the Ponting photo updated with Morgan Cable standing in an ice cave on Europa with a lander against. dark sky in the background while Jupiter looms on the horizon.

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  • NASA Watch
  • September 17, 2023