How Santa's Sleigh Works
by John Fuller & Cherise Threewitt
North Pole Hideaway: Reindeer Training
Santa clearly has a state-of-art training facility in order to get reindeer ready for the rigors of flight. HowStuffWorks
Based on what we know about reindeer and science, we think that Santa would have to have a state-of-art training facility in order to get reindeer ready for the rigors of flight. A simple, idyllic barn in the middle of the Arctic would be ideal for such activities.
A comfortably large stable would have enough room to provide fatigued reindeer with a place to sleep as well as contain equipment such as flight simulators, treadmills and steering practice platforms. Specially trained elves would be on-site to take care of the reindeer and guide them through their training exercises.
This is also where the elves would make any repairs or additions to Santa's sleigh when he needs a little something extra. The runners on the bottom of the sleigh, for example, would need to be examined thoroughly before Santa takes off on Christmas Eve. The runners are rumored to use an adaptive suspension system similar to those found in high-end off-road SUVs, which enable the sleigh to adjust to different types of terrain. Not only would that help Santa's sleigh land on different types of roofs all over the world, in all types of weather, the self-adjusting suspension would also help cushion the sleigh to make landings a little more pleasant.
And if Santa should need an immediate Christmas Eve repair, the head elf technician could climb through the transdimensional present compartment and fix the sleigh in mid-flight. We'd like to think that Santa has been greatly influenced by NASCAR, and that this procedure works very much like a NASCAR pit-stop.
Santa's stables likely include equipment like flight simulators, treadmills and steering practice platforms.
How do Santa's elves power this high-tech facility? Well, solar power and wind power, of course. The North Pole gets sunlight nearly round the clock, all summer long [source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration], and the workshop's state-of-the-art solar array is able to store enough power to run through the winter, when the sun all but disappears. Wind turbines help supplement the stored power so there's no danger of running out. This environmentally friendly setup is also how the elves charge the electric motor in Santa's sleigh.
Without his sleigh, Santa would have a tough time getting airborne the night before Christmas. Fortunately, elves, reindeer and technology could all be available for help, keeping St. Nick as jolly as possible.
Milk and cookies could help, too, of course. So don't forget to put those out.
Santa's Magic Horse?
Early stories of Santa Claus from other nations, when he was better known as St. Nicholas or Sinterklaas, associated the big guy with sailors, navigators and horses instead of sleighs. During the 19th century, for instance, Washington Irving — author of the famous short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle" — told the tale of a small, elf-like creature who rode a magic horse around New York City and delivered presents by climbing down chimneys. It wasn't until Clement Clark Moore published the classic poem "The Night Before Christmas" in 1823 that Santa Claus was given his sleigh and a team of reindeer [source: Galloway].
Last editorial update on Dec 18, 2018 04:54:13 pm.
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Adam, David. "Scientist gives Rudolph wings." Dec. 17, 2003. (Nov. 11, 2018). http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1108503,00.html
Galloway, Laura. "How Santa got his reindeer." CNN. Dec. 23, 2012. (Nov. 11, 2018). https://www.cnn.com/2012/12/22/opinion/galloway-reindeer/index.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "PMEL Arctic Zone." (Nov. 11, 2018) https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/arctic-zone/gallery_np_seasons.html
"NORAD Tracks Santa" (Nov. 11, 2018). http://www.noradsanta.org
Steigerwald, Bill. "New and improved antimatter spaceship for Mars missions." (Nov. 11, 2018). http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2006/antimatter_spaceship.html
"The Claus that refreshes." March 2007. (Nov. 11, 2018). http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp
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