Media Advisory 04-37

Byrd's 1929 journey opened the southernmost continent to science

November 29, 2004

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

Richard Evelyn Byrd's historic flight to the South Pole 75 years ago this month laid the groundwork for today's United States Antarctic Program, the nation's massive research enterprise on the southernmost continent.

In honor of Byrd's accomplishment, the National Science Foundation (NSF) today launched a commemorative Web site that chronicles how aircraft make scientific research in the polar regions possible and describes some of the cutting-edge discoveries made because of the logistics support aircraft provide.

NSF manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, coordinating all U.S. scientific research on the continental and the surrounding oceans.

The Web site may be accessed at http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/events/byrd/.

It contains an overview of Byrd's accomplishments and a first-person account of a commemorative flight that traced Byrd's route flown earlier this month by a New York Air National Guard LC-130 cargo aircraft. The site also contains video from that flight and Byrd's 1929 trip as well as still images from the commemorative flight.

Today, NSF maintains three year-round scientific stations in Antarctica, including the one at the geographic South Pole, and puts several hundred researchers into the field annually between October and February.

But 75 years ago, it was Byrd who paved the way by flying an early tri-motor aircraft into unknown territory, proving aircraft were up to the changes presented by the world's highest, driest, coldest and most forbidding continent. His success made him a national hero, and Americans followed the news of his flight with the same intensity felt by their children a generation later as they followed the first moon landing.

For b-roll on Betacam SP, contact Dena Headlee, (703) 292-7739 / dheadlee@nsf.gov

For photos taken during the commemorative flight, contact Peter West, (703) 292-7761 / pwest@nsf.gov

-NSF-

---

Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: pwest@nsf.gov

B-Roll Contacts
Dena Headlee, NSF, (703) 292-8070, email: dheadlee@nsf.gov

---

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

 Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov