Polar Star beats engineering challenges to complete mission

The U.S. Coast Guard's sole operational heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, is at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, after completing its mission Tuesday in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), cutting a resupply channel through 15 miles of Antarctic ice in the Ross Sea and escorting supply vessels to the continent.
The more than 40 year old vessel accomplished its task after overcoming a number of engineering challenges that underscore the fact that the Coast Guard's current Polar icebreaker acquisition program is in a race against time.
The Polar Star sailed from Seattle to assist in the annual delivery of operating supplies and fuel for NSF research stations in Antarctica during Operation Deep Freeze by carving a navigable path through seasonal and multi-year ice sometimes as much as 10-feet thick. Operation Deep Freeze is the logistical support provided by the U.S. Armed Forces to the U.S. Antarctic Program.