by Ria Olivier | Jun 27, 2024 | Antarctica, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, SANAE, SANAP
SANAE 63 Overwintering Team first newsletter now available. Introducing the team members and sharing their memories.
READ NEWSLETTER HERE
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
This first edition of the S63 newsletter introduces the team members with highlights of the memorable moments thus far. I hope this edition is fruitful for all our readers. – Tankiso H. Moso, Editor
LETTER FROM THE DEPUTY TEAM LEADER
I remain impressed with everyone’s work ethic. Each person has certainly found his/her stride here at SANAE IV and my overall impression is one of a strong group made up of respectable and mature individuals with a shared identity and purpose whose aim is to hold the legacy of South African National Antarctic Expedition proudly up high. Personally, I am grateful to each and every one of them for making the task of being a Deputy Team Leader a pleasant and gratifying experience for me. I can already see that bonds of friendship are being formed here that will outlive our stay at SANAE IV. – Thulani “Thulz” Ngwaqa, S63 Deputy Team Leader and Base Engineer
MEET THE S63 TEAM – introducing S63 members.
Page through their photo memories
by Ria Olivier | Jul 24, 2023 | Announcement, Antarctica, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, Overwintering Team, Research, SANAE, SANAE IV, SANAP, Science, Stations, Team member
The 62nd South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) team has published their second newsletter – May edition and is now available on the ALSA archive.
Get a glimpse into the life of overwintering team members at the SANAE IV research station.
A message from the Editor:
“You know there’s different ways to try and express the vast beauty of this world that can be articulated without a single phase. We don’t always consciously realise how magnificent nature can be. From witnessing auroras for the first time, or an optical phenomenon such as the light pillar effect and immensely strong winds with temperatures dropping below -45 °C, at wind chill”.
Read in the newsletter about:
- Chasing Auroras
- Weather data for May 2023
- Winter Solstice (Midwinter)
- Super Darn Radar
- Photo: see the weather circumstance during smelly duty (melting ice and snow for water)
Click here: SANAE 62 May Newsletter
View the S62 newsletters here!
This newsletter was written and compiled by the 62nd SANAE Overwintering Team. The team decided to name their newsletter ‘The Nunatak’, but for archival and consistency it will be archived as The Endurance (name of SANAE Newsletters).
Ria Olivier, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa & Anche Louw, South African Polar Research Infrastructure, 24 July 2023.
by Ria Olivier | Mar 30, 2023 | Announcement, Antarctica, News, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, Overwintering Team, SANAE, SANAE IV, SANAP, Stations, Team member
The 62nd South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) team left Cape Town in middle December 2022 and will return to Cape Town in February 2024. This team will maintain the SANAE IV base for the year, collect meteorological data (under the South African Weather Service) and work on various space science and engineering projects (under the South African National Space Agency).
The SANAE62 team has released their first newsletter for the year. Each of the 9 team members introduce themselves in this first edition.
The team decided to call their newsletter The Nunatak, find out why in the newsletter.
The SANAE62 newsletters published throughout this coming year will give “a glimpse into the life of an overwintering expeditioner at the South African National Antarctic Expedition research base” – DJ van Wyk (South African National Space Agency Engineer, S62 deputy team leader and editor of the S62 newsletter).
DJ has also started his own blog – read more about his time as an expeditioner here.
SANAE 62 February Newsletter
March Birthday Celebration
On social media
DJ van Wyk shares his first aurora experience. Click on the image to visit his profile on Instagram.
Anche Louw, South African Polar Research Infrastructure, Data Products and Society Node, 30 March 2023
by Ria Olivier | Dec 9, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, News, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, Overwintering Team, SANAE, SANAE Gallery>Sanae Fauna and Flora, SANAP, Stations, Team member, Team Photo
In this edition:
- Learn more about spring time at SANAE IV
- The Communications Technician, Aphiwe Dyum, shares his experience thus far as part of the 61st SANAE overwintering team
- Here are some of the interview questions:
- How would you rate SANAE compared to the Marion? (Aphiwe has been on two Marion Island Overwintering Teams , M76 & M77)
- Share your highlights for this year 2022?
- What do you miss about home?
- How do you pass the time when you are not working?
- What have you learnt from your SANAE colleagues?
- What would you do to improve awareness for this program?
“One of the things I have never done in my life is staying indoors for an entire month without seeing the sunrise/sunset” – Aphiwe
- Meet the team’s Mechanical Engineer, Deputy Station Leader/ Technical Team Leader, Thulani Ngwaqa
- Here are some of the interview questions:
- What does it take to go through a year at SANAE IV?
- What activities do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
- What do you look forward to do when you are back home?
- How does this program benefit South Africa?
Will there be a third trip?
“Yes, I think there will be a third trip. Once you bond with this place, you keep missing it when you are back home (South Africa)” – Thulani
Click here to view/download the Sept/Oct 2022 newsletter
Check out all the newsletters by S61 thus far
September/October Birthdays
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 09 December 2022
by Ria Olivier | Jul 25, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, News, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, Overwintering Team, SANAE, SANAP, Stations, Team member, Team Photo
In this edition:
- The team writes about the last sunset before winter
- Meet the most experienced member of the expedition team, diesel mechanic, John Manyatsa Skelete
- Weather: May and June 2022 – maximum and minimum pressure, temperature, humidity, wind gust.
Click here to read/download the MAY/JUNE 2022 newsletter!
Message from the SANAE 61 team leader on Antarctica, JC Laubscher:
“It is going well here at SANAE IV, it is just insanely cold outside (-40 degrees average). Luckily, the sun has peeked over the horizon today, after 33 days of absence. This is another expedition milestone reached! We’ve also passed the halfway mark of this expedition and we’re looking forward to the second half and of course summer!”
VIDEO: Click here to see what happens when you throw out a bucket of boiling water when it’s ~ -30°C outside.
Click here to view all the newsletters SANAE 61 has published to this date.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 25 July 2022
by Ria Olivier | Jun 1, 2022 | Announcement, Antarctica, Engineering, News, Newsletters>SANAE Newsletters, Overwintering Team, SANAE, SANAP, Stations, Team member
In this edition:
- Sunsets on Antarctica
- Birthday celebrations
- Get to know the team’s SANSA (South African National Space Agency) HF Radar/ VLF Engineer – Mfezeko Rataza, who celebrated his birthday on 16 April.
What do you find most challenging about being in Antarctica?
Mfezeko: “The job involve learning about climbing techniques and rope work, because we have to go up these 30 meters antenna to service them whenever there is a breakage sometimes in very cold conditions ( -15 degrees). Imagine trying to tighten a nut with your bear hands when frostbite start to occur after 2-3 minutes exposure”.
Want to read more? Click here to download the April 2022 issue.
Images from S61 April Newsletter. “Fez (Mfezeko) with his SANSA team by the Antennas”.
Birthday Card to Mfezeko Rataza (S61 SANSA Engineer) from Antarctic Legacy of South Africa – 16 April 2022.
Click here to view all the newsletters SANAE 61 has published to this date.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 01 June 2022
