CARGO PONTOONS

The GrIT12 ARCS consisted of groups of air-filled pontoons in fabric pouches acting as compliant suspensions between flexible plastic sheets and rigid cargo decks.  The sleds displayed excellent ride over rough Polar snow and successfully carried ~ 70,000 lb of payload 730 miles from Thule to Summit Station.

Front view of ARCS carrying two 25,000-lb steel fuel tanks across two 15’8”-ft-wide x 20-ft-long wooden decks.  Two fabric pouches (grey), each with three air-filled pontoons at ~ 1 psi, supported each deck.

Rear view of ARCS, with right deck carrying 16,000-lb roller-packer and tent-covered left deck carrying GrIT supplies.

SPoT successfully used similar ARCS during 2013-14 and 2014-15 to carry a refrigerated food module and an ISO container with tools and spare parts.