GLOBAL: Did you know that the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) was converted in 1974 and dedicated on May 21, 1975? It was named after Gerald P. Kuiper, who performed missions in the Galileo observatory, which was a modified Convair 990. The KAO was officially decommissioned in 1995. However, the dismantling of this scientifically important high-altitude observatory didn’t begin until this year. Let’s explore the history of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory and learn about future space exploration missions.

GLOBAL: How to Get to the South Pole - Spanning an Area of Nearly 5.4 Million Square Miles - Antarctica is this planet’s southernmost continent, embedded almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, totally flanked by the Southern Ocean. As the fifth-largest continent, it spans an area of nearly 5.4 million square miles, coming in at close to twice the size of Australia. The continent is perhaps best known for its extremely frigid cold temperatures and harsh weather conditions, as well as its uniquely rare ecosystems.