Five Decades On, Polar Star is Still Getting Under Way for Antarctica
Cold War-era engineering and an intensive maintenance program keep the mission going long past scrapping age
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Polar Star has departed Seattle for her annual voyage to Antarctica for Operation Deep Freeze, the annual breakout to cut through the ice to resupply McMurdo Station. In most years, the long voyage south is the aging icebreaker's sole mission.
Until the Polar Security Cutter program delivers its first hull, Polar Star is the only vessel in the American inventory capable of breaking through ultra-thick Antarctic ice. During Operation Deep Freeze, the heavy and powerful ship makes a channel through ice in the Ross Sea to allow merchant ships to reach McMurdo Station's temporary pier. This is the primary means of providing fuel and provisions for the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Program, supplying multiple outposts around the region.
Polar Star is now 49 years old, ten years over the age of the average American citizen and twice the end-of-life age of a standard container ship. She is continually maintained and spends most of the time period between her Antarctic trips in overhaul. To keep her operating this far past her intended service life, she has an annual drydocking, which helps offset the wear and tear of five decades of icebreaking - a task characterized by extremely low air temperatures, extreme vibration, high engine loads and (during transit) heavy rolling. The crew can expect to perform maintenance under way, sometimes extending to underwater repairs with divers.
Notwithstanding her age, she is a capable vessel. Five decades on, Polar Star remains the most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker in the world, thanks to a combination of a diesel-electric drivetrain and gearbox-coupled gas turbine power. With this Cold War-era powerplant, Polar Star can generate up to 75,000 shaft horsepower within the tight confines of a 400-foot, 13,000-tonne hull; transit more than 28,000 nautical miles at her most efficient speed; and break ice up to 21 feet thick. And with graceful 1970s-era lines and abundant yard time for painting, she tends to attract attention, too.
"Polar Star’s crew does remarkable work maintaining and operating this ship," said Capt. Jeff Rasnake, commanding officer of Polar Star. "Each year brings unique challenges, and I’m proud to say this crew has risen to meet them all. The way we’ve come together over the course of maintenance, and our logistical preparations is exciting as we enter the operational phase of our annual deployment cycle."