The cold, stark landscape of Antarctica is home to penguins, ice, high winds, and two antennae owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the independent federal agency that supports and funds all fields of fundamental science and engineering in the United States. The severe conditions of the coldest place on earth might deter those faint of heart. But this is a genuine account of man and instrument going where no others dare to tread.

The National Science Foundation acquired a decommissioned 7.2-meter diameter VertexRSI Ku-band antenna from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The NSF also owns and operates an 11-m diameter DAI C-band antenna. Both antennae are located on Black Island, Antarctica, and housed in separate geodesic frame radomes. The NSF wanted to recommission the 7.2-m antenna and operate it at its originally designed Ku-band frequency. This would provide a backup system and allow the 11-m C-band antenna to go offline for an upgrade to also operate at Ku-band.

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