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Astronaut Buzz Aldrin is Being Emergency Evacuated From the South Pole (businessinsider.com)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced Thursday morning that it will provide a "humanitarian medical evacuation flight" from the South Pole for an "ailing" Buzz Aldrin. BusinessInsider adds: Aldrin was the second man to walk on the moon, joining Neil Armstrong in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module in July 1969. He has since become an author and advocate for crewed missions to Mars. He is 86, and no further information is available as to his condition. The NSF's statement said that an NSF plane will fly Aldrin from the Amundsen-Scott research station at the South Pole to McMurdo Station on the Antarctic coast. At that point ski-equipped LC-130 cargo planes flown by the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard will haul him to New Zealand "as soon as possible."
What is Buzz Aldrin doing at the South Pole? Is he the anti-Santa?
I'm sure he's fitter that most of us, but the South pole is an unforgiving place.
Time for bed, said Zebedee - boing
You can officially go F*** yourself, 2016.
People said I was dumb, but I proved them.
Almost dying at the south pole, check! XD Seriously thou I don't see a problem with the US burning taxpayer's money to bring the guy back. He's an inspiring explorer for more than one generation. Hopefully he isn't among the last (for space), and it seems like he's not going to stop exploring till he can't do it anymore.
This is what happens when there's no serious anti-aging research. Deal with it.
Our fragile planet holds a rather finite amount of resources.
Policies that legalize killers like cigarettes and alcohol and do not support anti-aging research is in fact dealing with it, on a MUCH larger scale.
Death. It's not just part of life. It's policy.
The airlines' refer to passengers as SLF (self loading freight).
Have gnu, will travel.
Yes...but if fresh strawberries came in in load, there would probably be a stampede.
Anyway, if I were him and died there, I would want by body bagged and buried inward towards the pole a little with a sign that said, "Do not touch until tech can resurrect me k thx bie."
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Hopefully not "Never Mind The Buzzcocks" ;)
People said I was dumb, but I proved them.
Buzz is the real Most Interesting Man in the World.
Rode on the first moon landing, punched a conspiracy troll in the face, explores the Antarctic at 86, and has a cool name.
Buzz for Prezz!
Table-ized A.I.
You're conflating survival of the species with the indefinite survival of the individual.Slightly different issues.
We (and everything else on the planet) are the result of a billion-plus years of unbroken successes of the first one. Nobody has ever managed the second.
You tell me which is more reasonable to be concerned with.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Just a quick update. It made headline news here in New Zealand. The lead story on TV news reports show him arriving at Christchurch hospital in wheelchair and looking ok. Radio news reports he had fluid on the lungs and it sounds like it should be a short hospital stay.
Simple answer : Proximity to Antartica. The Operation Deep Freeze base is in Christchurch, New Zealand. The great majority of flights to the great southern continent are via Christchurh.