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)

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.

Aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker flies in the two-seat Oracle Extra airplane over downtown Chicago skyline, Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Tucker will perform before the start of of the America's Cup World Series racing on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Kiichiro Sato/AP Photo)

A man dressed as Hindu god Shiva, smokes during an annual Hindu religious festival locally known as Shyam Baba festival in Ajmer, in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan, April 12, 2015. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/Reuters)

Imogen Bankier of Scotland (L) and Chris Adcock of England in action during their round one mixed doubles match in the Yonex All England Badminton Open Championship on March 9, 2011 in Birmingham, England.

Filipino firemen extinguish a burning vehicle during an earthquake preparedness drill in Makati city, south of Manila, Philippines, 22 June 2016. Thousands of people participated in the Metro Manila earthquake drill to prepare residents of nearly 12 million for a feared magnitude-7.2 quake that could kill thousands and displace millions, Emerson Carlos head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said. Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area prone to seismic shifts that spark earthquakes and volcanic activity. (Photo by Francis R. Malasig/EPA)

In this May 2, 2015 photo, skywriter Nathan Hammond releases smoke as he writes messages of hope and love over New Orleans, during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Hammond was commissioned by local entrepreneur, Frank Scurlock, who said the messages were simply his way of reminding people that goodness can still flourish in a world that seems increasingly marred by violence. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

Penny Verdin displays a sleeping squirrel she helped rescue after it was injured during Hurricane Ida, Saturday, September 4, 2021, in Dulac, La. (Photo by John Locher/AP Photo)