In December of 2017, he will spend 60 days man-hauling with a team of 4 including himself and his son Barney, from the edge of the Antarctic to the South Pole. The trip, unlike any Antarctic adventures before them, will rely solely on renewable energy to survive during the journey. “If alternative fuel sources can work in the most inhospitable place on the planet, they can work anywhere," Robert says. NASA is working with the 2041 team to design new technology to keep them alive. Specialized solar panels that can withstand frigid temperatures will melt ice and snow, and in a land where whiteouts can last for days, they will have backup heating sources like jet fuels made from coffee beans, food waste and wood chips. |