McMurdo Station is a U.S. Antarctic research centre located on the southern tip of Ross Island, which is in the New Zealand-claimed Ross Dependency on the shore of McMurdo Sound in Antarctica. It is operated by the United States through the United States Antarctic Program, a branch of the National Science Foundation. The station is the largest community in Antarctica, capable of supporting up to 1,258 residents, and serves as the United States Antarctic science facility. All personnel and cargo going to or coming from Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station first pass through McMurdo.

An unmanned Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket lifts off from launch complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Wednesday, February 11, 2015, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On board is the Deep Space Climate Observatory, which will head toward a solar-storm lookout point a million miles away. (Photo by John Raoux/AP Photo)

A woman rides a donkey during a donkey race in Roum village, Jizeen countryside, southern Lebanon, August 9, 2015. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Reuters)

A Chimpanzee opens its Christmas presents at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo on December 17, 2013 in Bedfordshire, England. (Photo by Tony Margiocchi/Barcroft Media)

Brett Gardner #11of the New York Yankees dives into second base on the back end of an attempted double during the first inning in a MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on September 3, 2014 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Gardner was tagged out on the play. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Sgt. William Olas Bee, a U.S. Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire near Garmsir in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, May 18, 2008. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Frida Karlsson takes 2nd place, Therese Johaug of Norway takes 1st place, Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg of Norway takes 3rd place during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Women's Cross Country Classic on February 26, 2019 in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo by Lisi Niesner/Reuters)

A woman looks out of the window of a house as saris, traditional clothing worn by women, are hanged out to dry in Lalitpur, Nepal on April 17, 2019. (Photo by Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)