[Dale Andersen] : Hi Keith, A quick note while the base WiFi is up and running. We spent the last two days digging out the entrance to our hut, removing snow that migrated inside over the winter, and getting the snowmobiles and ATV running.
Our main goal now is to assemble the shelving we shipped down so we can organize the gear inside. That will take a couple of days. We will also get the generators running, check out the Jiffy drills, and assemble the science and diving gear.
At the same time, we will select and pack the gear, supplies, and cargo we need at Untersee. Starlink is still packed away but we will power it up in the next day or two, once the generators are sorted. I want to make sure we have no issues with it and the software/firmware is up to date before we depart.
If all goes well, we hope to depart for Untersee on November 1 or 2. The weather has been reasonably kind so far: partly sunny skies, with winds that come and go but sit at 10 to 15 knots more often than not.
Dale
Antarctic Composite Visible Image 28 Oct 2026 at 13 UTC AMRC: (SSEC: UW Madison) – with a map inset (Wikipedia) for reference. (Updated Weather satellite imagery at Antarctic Meteorological Research and Data Center)
Keith’s note: Update on the new hut that Dale and his team now have at their disposal: Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 9 January 2026: Building Our New Storage Facility
One real improvement this season is that we now have a dedicated place to stage everything at the Ultima airbase: a new WeatherPort hut (about 30 × 30 × 13 ft). For the first time we will be able to keep all of our gear in one spot, including the snowmobiles and the ATV, instead of chasing equipment across multiple caches.
Just as important, it gives us a sheltered workspace when we need to lay things out, troubleshoot, or do maintenance without fighting the wind and drifting snow.
The storage facility next to ours (middle one in the top image) is twice as long (60 ft). Both structures are Weatherport structures by AKS Industries.
Keith’s note: You can see all of the Status Report and related articles here at Dale Andersen’s Field Reports
Astrobiology, Exploration,
