![Black and white image showing head-on view of plane landing at South Pole.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_624,c_scale/q_auto/v1614699799/2021week07_basler_bw_last_flight_mwolf/2021week07_basler_bw_last_flight_mwolf.jpg?_i=AA)
Well, now it’s official—the South Pole station has closed for the winter. Above is a great shot that IceCube winterover Martin captured of the last passenger-carrying plane to depart. Below, the plane is shown being refueled, followed by a view of its take-off as it heads for McMurdo captured from the station’s observation deck. The following day, the crew held their first all-hands meeting as a team. And of course they ended their week with a viewing marathon of all three versions of “The Thing,” as tradition dictates.
![Refueling the last departing plane from the Pole.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_694,c_scale/q_auto/v1614699743/2021week07_basler_fuel_mwolf/2021week07_basler_fuel_mwolf.jpg?_i=AA)
![View of departing plane at take-off from observation deck on top of station.](https://res.cloudinary.com/icecube/images/w_1110,h_740,c_scale/q_auto/v1614699677/2021week07_basler_take_off_last_flight_mwolf/2021week07_basler_take_off_last_flight_mwolf.jpg?_i=AA)