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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Astrophysics Science Division | Sciences and Exploration

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TIGER Questions and Answers

about Surviving the Antarctic Climate

Dr. Eric Christian of NASA GSFC was in Antarctica for the launch of the balloon-borne instrument, TIGER. He answered questions about Antarctica and the mission while there and since.


  1. What are the buildings made of?

    Just about everything. There are insulated canvas buildings, wood, sheet metal, etc. The newer buildings tend to use pre-made walls with metal or plastic siding and a built-in thick layer of insulation.

  2. What is ECW clothing?

    I've got this covered in a special report.

  3. Was it your choice to sleep on the ice in an igloo or tent? How did your igloo stay warm?

    I would have picked the ice mound (much more freeform than an igloo, which is made of blocks) if we could have made one habitable. The tent was fine, and I didn't have any real problem. See the journal articles on Happy Camper School (November 13 and 14) for more.

  4. Do you have outhouses? Does everything freeze?

    In town, there are real flush toilets, but out at Willy Field there are only outhouses. And yes, EVERYTHING freezes (which keeps the smell down). I saw one outhouse that had 1.5 inches of ice on the seat, but didn't use it. In some remote sites, there are only 55-gallon drums with "seats". By the Antarctic Treaty, in the Dry Valleys especially, all human waste has to be removed.

  5. What would you do if you lost your survival bag?

    If you're lost without your survival bag, the odds are very much against you. Your only hope is to be found soon. The biggest problem is actually food. Your body needs food to keep warm, and there is NOTHING you can eat that you didn't bring with you. Shelter you can probably improvise.

  6. What kind of supplies do you need to survive in Antarctica?

    McMurdo is very well supplied with food, fuel, construction materials, etc. The fact that they can dock freighters right at the edge of town makes it pretty easy to resupply this place.

  7. How many layers of clothing do you have to wear to prevent frostbite from affecting your internal organs?

    If you have frostbite on your internal organs, you are, in medical terms, "dead". Frostbite is when your cells freeze, and usually refers to extremities; fingers, toes, nose, etc. When your core temperature drops (meaning your internal organs), it is called hypothermia, and is usually fatal by the time your core temperature reaches about 60 degrees F, well above freezing. You need at least three layers to stay warm: an inner layer that wicks sweat away from the body; a middle layer (fluffy) that gives insulation; and an outer that is wind-proof. Some of these layers may be combined in one piece of clothing. I'll do a special report on this. [He did. See ECW Clothing.]

  8. How does the existence of the ozone hole affect your health, your clothes, etc.

    There is an added risk of sunburn and snow blindness from the extra UV light.

  9. Do you have to take any special precautions or preparations as a result of the ozone hole?

    Extra sunblock and good sunglasses should prevent most personal problems from the ozone hole.

  10. Do you have more colds or health issues down there?

    There is a flu-like chest cold that some people get when they first come down here. I don't know of any other problems, and they've only selected healthy people to come down here, so I don't think things are any worse, and they may be better.


This page was last modified on October 27, 2003