They also got to glimpse what life is like at Palmer Station. Palmer is smaller than other U.S. research stations in Antarctica. While McMurdo Station can house 2,000 people at a time, and the South Pole can accommodate 150, Palmer only houses about 42. About half the population of Palmer consists of support people who run the power plant, cook, operate the radio, maintain the computers, and do other maintenance jobs. The other half are scientists.
Most people there bunk four to a room, and the rooms are smaller than a typical college dorm.
To keep order in cramped quarters, everyone does his or her fair share. Everyone pitches in for a weekly cleaning. And although Palmer residents can expect three prepared meals a day, they have to bus their own dishes and take a kitchen-cleaning shift. One of the hardest things is when people want to get away. Bad weather often keeps everyone cooped up indoors.