Deep in the heart of Antarctica, perched at the Earth’s southernmost point, lies the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station—one of the most remote and unforgiving outposts on the planet. While the station is known for its groundbreaking scientific research, much of its success depends on a dedicated force behind the scenes: U.S. civilian contractors. These professionals support everything from station maintenance and logistics to communications and field safety, making life and science possible in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

(POC) — Department of Defense has awarded an additional $13,553,111 to a previously awarded contract with reimbursable elements to exercise a one-year option period for the operation of the Ice-class tanker Stena Polaris to provide support of world-wide bulk fuel requirements of the Department of Defense (DOD) to include biennial delivery to Antarctica for the National Science Foundation, and a delivery each year to Greenland for the DOD/Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Energy.

Managed by the National Science Foundation, the USAP deploys roughly 3,000 people to Antarctica every year to conduct scientific research, or provide support to researchers through the operation and maintenance of the research stations and vessels. Inquiring about opportunities depends on your area of interest; however, the majority of employees are hired as support personnel.

The last big plane left the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Feb. 14. Of the 150 scientists, technicians, and support staff, only 33 men and eight women remained for the winter: six months of darkness, no arriving supplies, average temperatures of -76F. Also: no Wi-Fi or cell phone service. At the South Pole, iPhones become expensive alarm clocks and music players. Sunrise comes on Sept. 21.

Sitting on the ice—as well as buried one mile beneath it—are telescopes and other instruments gathering data to help answer questions about the changing climate here on earth, as well as the origins of the universe. The first direct evidence of cosmic inflation—the idea that the cosmos experienced exponential growth in its first trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second—came from a telescope at the South Pole called BICEP2 (Background Imaging of Cosmic Extragalactic Polarization.)

According to sources, Australian contractors in Antarctica could see the amount of alcohol consumed at the Antarctic research stations reduced.

The new Drug and Alcohol Policy of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) reflects the national norm of no more than 10 standard drinks a week.

According to the Department of Defense a contractor from Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded a maximum amount $10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering (AE) contract for construction surveillance and inspection (Title II) services and other design and engineering services for various National Science Foundation (NSF) projects at Antarctica and New Zealand.

AE services may include, but are not limited to, design, studies, reviews, construction surveillance, construction inspection (including preparation of inspection reports, weekly and end of the season reports), cost estimating, life cycle cost analysis, with emphasis on mechanical and electrical work.

Leidos will take over work on the National Science Foundation‘sU.S. Antarctic Program as part of the company’s merger into the former information systems and global solutions segment of Lockheed Martin.

IS&GS has provided laboratory management, food services and information technology support to Antarctica-based research stations run by NSF since 2011 under the Antarctic Support Contract, the agency said Monday.

The Amundsen–Scott Station is located at the South Pole, the southernmost place on the Earth. It is the only place on the land surface of the Earth where the sun is continuously up for six months and then continued down for six months. (The only other such place is at the North Pole, on the sea ice in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.) Thus, during each year, this station experiences one extremely long "day" and one extremely long "night". 

Because it lies in the southern hemisphere, seasons in Antarctica are the opposite of seasons in the north. Summer runs from October to February and winter covers the remainder of the year. The last plane left Antarctica around Febuary 15, 2015. For about the next six months  a staff of cooks, facilities workers, and a handful of scientists ( SEARCH JOBS IN ANTARCTICA ) — will see only darkness beyond the station's windows. At the South Pole, the sun sets in March and doesn't rise again until austral summer returns, in September.

Lockheed Martin has been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to operate and maintain the support infrastructure for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP), which enables universities, research institutions, and federal agencies to conduct scientific research in the region. NSF is the designated single-point manager of the program, providing funding for research in Antarctica as well as logistics and infrastructure needed by other federal agencies for their research there.  The multi-year contract is valued at approximately $2 billion if all options are exercised.