The United States' only operational heavy icebreaker suffered both flooding and engine failure during this year's icebreaking mission to Antarctica. Despite these challenges, however, the USCGC Polar Star completed its Antarctic mission this week in support of National Science Foundation (NSF) after cutting a resupply channel through 15 miles of ice in the Ross Sea and … [Read more...]
Heavy Icebreaker USCGC ‘Polar Star’ Departs Honolulu on Annual Resupply Mission to Antarctica
The United States’ only heavy icebreaker departed Honolulu on Friday bound for Antarctica as part of annual resupply mission for the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). During the mission, known as Operation Deep Freeze, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star will establish a channel through 15 miles of ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, sometimes up to 10 feet in … [Read more...]
Ship Photos: U.S. Icebreaker ‘Polar Star’ Reaches McMurdo Station, Antarctica
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star arrived at the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station Tuesday after cutting a resupply channel through more than 60 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea. The path through the seasonal and multi-year ice helps the annual delivery of operating supplies and fuel for two of NSF's three U.S. research stations in … [Read more...]
Watch: Antarctic Dive Ops with USCGC Polar Star
Members of the military dive team assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard heavy icebreaker Polar Star, inspect the cutter's propellers while it is hove-to in the ice in the Ross Sea, January 30, 2015. The dive was to inspect of Polar Star's hull and propellers to check for damage incurred while breaking ice. Within a week of this inspection, the USCGC Polar Star would be sent to … [Read more...]
Video: USCGC Polar Star Rescues Australian Fishing Vessel from Antarctic Ice
Below is some new video just released by the U.S. Coast Guard showing the rescue of 26 fishermen trapped in Antarctic ice back in mid-February. As gCaptain reported previously, the USCG heavy icebreaker was sent to retrieve Australian-flagged fishing vessel Antarctic Chieftain last month after it became beset in heavy ice in the Southern Ocean approximately 900 miles … [Read more...]