About USAP Participants
United States Antarctic Program United States Antarctic Program Logo National Science Foundation Logo
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The National Science Foundation manages the United States Antarctic Program and supports scientific research by overseeing a massive cooperative effort among researchers, the military, and civilian agencies.

Executive Program Management
Science Programs
Operational Support Organizations
Science Support Organizations
Interagency Collaborations

National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Polar Programs (OPP)

Funds and manages the United States Antarctic Program (USAP); supports scientific research and oversees the cooperative efforts of a civilian contractor, the military, and several federal agencies.

National Science Foundation
Office of Polar Programs
Geosciences Directorate
2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite W7100
Alexandria, VA 22314
https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=OPP External Non-U.S. government site

The NSF funds Antarctic-related science on the Antarctic continent, at U.S. universities, federal laboratories, and other similar U.S. organizations. For a recent list of Antarctic science researchers and field projects, see the Science Planning Summaries section.

Leidos

Provides a wide range of logistical and science support operations and is curator of the USAP web portal.

7400 South Tucson Way
Centennial, CO 80112
http://www.leidos.com/ External U.S. government site

The Air National Guard (New York Air National Guard 109th Airlift Wing)

Provides ski-equipped C-130 (LC-130) air support between Antarctica and New Zealand and within Antarctica.

Commander
109th Air National Guard Airlift Wing
Stratton Air National Guard Base
Scotia, NY 12302-9752

The U.S. Air Force (USAF 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord AFB, Washington)

Provides airlift support between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Commander
62 OG/OGV
1305 D. Street North East
McChord AFB, WA 98438

Joint Task Forces Support Forces Antarctica (Operation Deep Freeze)

Provides logistics and support for the U.S. Antarctic Program; oversees the activities of U.S. Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel who participate in the USAP.

Commander
Joint Task Force-Support Forces Antarctica (JTF-SFA)
25 E. Street, Suite M-222
Joint Base Pearl Harbor
Hickam, HI 96853

The U.S. Coast Guard (PACAREA Icebreaker Operations, Cutter Polar Sea, and Cutter Polar Star)

Breaks a channel in the sea ice in McMurdo Sound before the arrival of the annual fuel and resupply ships; escorts resupply ships in and out of McMurdo Station; delivers fuel to Marble Point, northern Victoria Land; and provides science support as needed.

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area
Coast Guard Island
Bldg 51-5
Alameda, CA 94705

Air Center Helicopters, Inc. (ACHI)

Provides helicopter support within Antarctica.

Air Center Helicopters
308 East Renfro St, Suite 104
Burleson, TX 76028

Kenn Borek Air Ltd.

Provides Twin Otter aircraft support within Antarctica.

Kenn Borek Air Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Head Office
290 McTavish Road NE
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2E 7G5

The U.S. Navy (NIWC, Polar Programs IPT)

Provides weather forecasting, air traffic control, base operations, systems maintenance, systems engineering, and information security services.

Commanding Officer
Attn: Polar Programs IPT
NAVWARSYSCOM Atlantic
P.O. Box 190022
North Charleston, SC 29419-9022

University Navstar Consortium (UNAVCO)

Provides support for permanent stations, surveying, mapping, and other applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to U.S. Antarctic Program investigators, and maintains a satellite facility with a full range of geodetic GPS equipment and support services at McMurdo Station during the austral summer research season.

UNAVCO
6350 Nautilus Drive
Boulder, CO 80301-5554
http://www.unavco.org/facility/project_support/polar/polar.html External U.S. government site

Ice Coring and Drilling Services (ICDS), University of Wisconsin-Madison

Provides ice-coring and drilling support for NSF-sponsored research in both polar regions and at high altitudes, maintains and operates existing equipment, and develops new systems.

Ice Coring and Drilling Services
Space Science and Engineering Center
1225 W. Dayton Street
Madison, WI 53706
http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/icds/ External U.S. government site

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—Global Monitoring Division

Conducts research that addresses three major challenges including greenhouse gas and carbon cycle feedbacks, changes in clouds, aerosols, and surface radiation, and recovery of stratospheric ozone.

NOAA/ESRL
R/GMD1
325 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80305-3337
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ External U.S. government site
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/obop/spo/ External U.S. government site  (South Pole Observatory)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

National Scientific Balloon Facility; Palestine, Texas

Provides services for launching, tracking, and recovering large unmanned, high-altitude research balloons.

Office of Space Science
Code SR
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. 20546

McMurdo Ground Station (MGS)

Provides tracking and data-acquisition support and launch vehicle/payload tracking to polar-orbiting spacecraft from McMurdo Ground Station, a NASA-owned automated 10-meter tracking system.

Space Communications Program Ground Networks Project
Code 453
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771-0001

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)—U.S. Antarctic Resource Center

Supports mapping (including field surveys), geodesy, year-round acquisition of geospatial data, mapping. Maintains the Nation's collection of Antarctic maps, charts, satellite images, and photographs produced by the United States and other member nations of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) and is the U.S. contribution to the SCAR Library system.

U.S. Antarctic Resource Center
U.S. Geological Survey
515 National Center
Reston, Virginia 20192
http://usarc.usgs.gov/ External Non-U.S. government site