Recycling Rocket Bottles is a Blast [Dispatches from Antarctica]

The series features Air Force Lt. Col. Ed Vaughan’s first-hand experiences on OPERATION: DEEP FREEZE, the Defense Department’s support of National Science Foundation research in Antarctica.

As depicted in the above photo, solid-fuel rockets are sometimes used to help LC-130s takeoff from remove sites in Antarctica. This is known as jet assisted takeoff or JATO.

Misfired or defective JATO fuel bottles must be detonated prior to removal from Antarctica to permit recycling. The JATO explosive disposal team consists of both U.S. Antarctic Program and U.S. Air Force military personnel.