The U.S. Navy film “Desert Without Sand” (MN-10518) dates to 1967 and presents the Navy’s Task Force 43 and its operations in Antarctica. Read Admiral Jay Lloyd Abbot (01:50) is head of naval support for the missions and narrates the film, which is meant to provide an opportunity for those who cannot visit the continent to see what it is all about. The film opens with a ship crashing through ice (00:12) and scenes of mountains and ice fields. The desolate region, despite the cold and ice, is a desert—a desert without sand. Navy men of Task Force 43 and civilian scientists work and reside at McMurdo Station (03:07), contributing to scientific investigations. McMurdo Station is powered by nuclear energy (03:51): the atomic reactor provides electricity to light and heat the base. The McMurdo Dispensary (05:00) is the closest thing to a hospital on the continent, and the base is also home to a church (05:24), store, library, and post office. Tasks are often difficult to complete because of the weather (06:00). The weather station (06:30) tracks weather and helps with predicting conditions in order to successfully resupply the station. Williams Field (06:58) is located seven miles from McMurdo, and sees about 300 flights per season, all which provide supplies to McMurdo and other stations. Tractors and sleds are used to load and unload cargo from the planes before the planes, such as the C-130 Hercules (08:50), take off. South Pole Station (09:39) is buried under snow and features tunnels to access different buildings. Sleep adaption studies are conducted (11:29) and reveal how men cope with the stress of living in these extreme conditions. Plateau station (12:26)—construction of the base began in December 1965—features a tall radio tower and the construction of a hut before start of winter (13:00). At Bird Land Camp (13:45), men head out to a nearby mountain via snowmobiles; a Russian scientist joins the group to take samples of the rare exposed rock in Antarctica (14:55) for study. The annual US visit to the Soviet’s Vostok Station (15:18), where a U.S. scientist spends a year exchanging technical information, is a festive time. Men from both countries share a feast and jovially toast each other (16:00). Men take a break from Antarctica in Christchurch, New Zealand (16:12). This is the home to the Advanced HQ U.S. Naval Support Force Antarctica (16:38). It is here that officers plan the logistics of supplying and staffing the outposts in Antarctica (17:00). Back in Antarctica, ships break through the ice in McMurdo Sound (17:38). U.S. Coast guard icebreaker USS Glacier (18:15), followed by a New Zealand tanker, makes its way to McMurdo Station (18:50). In Antarctica’s summer (19:02), resupply is much easier, as U.S. Naval Ship Private John R. Towle, a Greenville Victory-class cargo ship, docks at McMurdo station and drops off supplies. The first jet aircraft, a C-130 cargo plane lands, bringing more supplies (21:00). Dry valleys, not covered in snow during the summer months, allow scientists to examine the composition of the soil (22:45). Penguins line their nests with pebbles (23:20), and men play a game of football (24:25) to pass the time. Antarctica is a unique example of men working together from different nations, on a continent where weapons of war are outlawed by treaty.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, McMurdo Staion, the largest research base in the Antarctic, was powered by a medium-sized, portable nuclear reactor. The extreme temperatures in Antarctica necessitated large amounts of fuel oil to maintain operations, making the prospect of nuclear power, an attractive alternative. During its 10 year lifetime, the nuclear power station produced over 78 million kilowatt hours of electricity and produced 13 million gallons of fresh water using the excess steam in a desalination plant. Though this device reduced the necessity for fuel imports, it was plagued with problems which ultimately forced its early retirement in 1972. The cost associated with nuclear power in the Antarctic made it impractical, and diesel-electric generators have since powered the base. The PM-3A nuclear reactor that powered McMurdo Station stands as the only nuclear power station to operate on the Antarctic continent.

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