Gallery: Britain's Antarctic Research Station Looks Like a Spaceship

  • Image may contain Vehicle Transportation and Aircraft
    James Morris
    01

    Halley-VI-p83-Social-module-exterior

    The bright red module of Halley VI, Britain’s Antarctic research station, houses a dining area, a pool table, a gym, a TV lounge, and presumably a well-stocked bar.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Snow Ice Winter and Weather
    Antony Dubber
    02

    credit-Antony-Dubber

    Reinforced steel structures help the station withstand Antarctica’s fierce storms.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Tractor and Bulldozer
    British Antarctic Survey
    03

    BAS-First-Module-Mod-C-being-towed-to-Z6-close-up

    The station’s parts traveled by cargo ship to Antarctica, where a construction crew assembled each module and pulled them to their site nine miles away.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Building Countryside Rural Shelter Ice and Housing
    James Morris
    04

    Halley VI, Antarctica

    The eight modules that make up Halley VI are each dedicated to a particular function: science, sleeping, socializing, or generating power.
  • Image may contain Furniture Indoors Room Table Human Person Pool Table and Billiard Room
    James Morris
    05

    Halley-VI-p56-Social-module

    Researchers and technicians unwind in the social module.
  • Image may contain Furniture Room Indoors Bedroom Desk Table Interior Design Chair Housing Building and Dorm Room
    James Morris
    06

    Halley VI, Antarctica

    The compact bedrooms come equipped with a fixture that simulates daylight, to combat seasonal affective disorder.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Tractor Human Person Bulldozer Outdoors Nature and Truck
    British Antarctic Survey
    07

    BAS-Mod-A-being-towed-to-Z6-site-rear-elevation

    Bulldozers drag the 200-ton social module—one of the largest loads ever moved on ice.
  • Image may contain Human Person Furniture Couch Indoors Room Living Room Table and Flooring
    James Morris
    08

    Halley VI, Antarctica

    The architects hired a color consultant to choose interior décor that was calm and comforting—very important for residents facing a grim Antarctic winter.
  • Image may contain Banister Handrail Human Person Transportation Vehicle Boat and Railing
    James Morris
    09

    Halley-VI-p73-Bridge-link

    A bridge links the station’s energy modules, which also houses a sewage treatment plant and generates water by melting snow in melt tanks.
  • Image may contain Indoors Office Human Person Furniture Chair Table Desk Electronics and Computer Keyboard
    James Morris
    10

    Halley-VI-p74-75-Upper-level-climate-observatory

    A climate observatory in the science module provides a 360-degree view of the vast nothingness that is the Brunt Ice Shelf. A spectrophotometer takes ozone readings.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Aircraft Outdoors and Nature
    James Morris
    11

    Halley-VI-p82-Entrance

    Hydraulic legs keep the station from getting buried by snow, while flat, wide skis allow the station to move when the ice beneath it threatens to split.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Weather Snow Winter and Fog
    James Morris
    12

    Ice-Station-JM-After-storm

    Halley VI, battered by a storm.
  • Image may contain Text and Calendar
    James Morris
    13

    Halley VI, Antarctica

    Only in Antarctica: a board helps keep track of personnel to make sure everyone’s safe.
  • Image may contain Furniture and Construction Crane
    Hugh Broughton Architects
    14

    ©-HBA-Construct-line-concept

    An architect’s sketch illustrates how the modules might be constructed in a factory line.
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