For nearly two centuries Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel (Royal Greenland Trade Department, or RGTD) has been responsible not only for transportation and supply in Greenland but also for the general development of production and of natural resources there. Before 1774, various private and chartered companies had been organized to supply Greenland and develop its natural resources, but they all failed because of the difficulties of operating in the Arctic. It then became evident that development of these regions would seldom, if ever, be profitable. It was also felt, however, that the economic well-being of the people could not be neglected, and consequently RGTD was established and vested with the responsibility of developing the country. This principle has remained unchanged throughout the years although Greenland has since achieved full and equal rights as a province of Denmark.

The Space Disturbance Monitoring Station of the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and Aeronomy is located on Elmendorf Air Force Base, near Anchorage, Alaska. The station was formerly the North Pacific Radio Warning Service of the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory, and as such served the government and civilian agencies which operated high frequency communication circuits in the North Pacific area. It was first opened in 1950, and since the military were prime users of the services, the location on Elmendorf Air Force Base was a natural selection.

Advance in science in Antarctica has been paralleled, and in many cases made possible, by the development of logistic support facilities. As early as 1959 the use of turbine-powered helicopters had been suggested for a United States programme in the Ellsworth Mountains, where the altitude and cold weather made the use of conventional piston-powered helicopters impractical. Turbine-powered helicopters were not available from the US Navy, and the use of civilian machines was turned down at the time. However, an investigation of machines suitable for polar work was conducted by the US Naval Support Force, Antarctica, and the development of the LC-130 air delivery system necessary to support helicopters in the continental interior of Antarctica continued.