Daniela and Minako boarding the shuttle to Willy Field.

Yesterday was an incredible day, as Minako and Daniela successfully took off on a Basler flight to the Davis Ward field site. We received a call from Brian at 7 pm (yesterday) confirming their safe arrival and expressing their excitement – asserting they were “jumping off the walls”! The rest of the day was dedicated to redistributing approximately 2500 lbs of cargo and settling into their tent, thoughtfully set up in advance by Brian and Amelia.

We just heard from Brian again and learned that the field team spent their first full day setting up the GNSS base station and organizing the meteorite collection kits. Stay tuned for some blogs directly from the field!

On the McMurdo side, today was not as successful. After a brief delay this morning, the second wave Basler flight — scheduled to transport Lauren, Robert, and myself to the field — was officially canceled. Our next flight attempt is scheduled for Monday, January 8 (please cross your fingers and toes for good weather!!). While a bit disappointed, we’re finding solace in the opportunity for another hot shower, ongoing connections with family, and another chance to have Sunday brunch prepared for us by McMurdo galley team.

From Erin at McMurdo, but dreaming of Davis-Ward!