Email Print Share

News Release 05-013

Icebreakers Clear Channel into McMurdo Station

Annual supply mission reaches main U.S. Antarctic research station

Ships at McMurdo Station in January 2005

The fuel tanker USNS Paul Buck (right) alongside the Coast Guard's Polar Star at McMurdo Station


February 3, 2005

Still images of the ships at work are available at print resolution

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

U.S. and Russian icebreakers have cleared a path through the sea ice of McMurdo Sound to allow the annual resupply of McMurdo Station, the National Science Foundation's logistics hub in Antarctica.

The U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star and the Russian icebreaker Krasin escorted the U.S. Navy fuel tanker USNS Paul Buck to the ice pier at McMurdo Station in late January to unload its cargo. The tanker unloaded about eight million gallons of fuel in 48 hours. The Paul Buck left McMurdo on Jan. 31.

The cargo vessel American Tern arrived at McMurdo on Feb. 3, local time (U.S. Stations in Antarctica keep New Zealand time). The ship is currently unloading and is expected to leave McMurdo on Feb. 11.

Although U.S. Air Force and New York Air National Guard cargo flights from New Zealand operate on a  regular schedule during the annual Antarctic research season (October through February), planes alone aren't able to carry enough supplies to keep the nation's Antarctic research program running.

Each year, a channel must be broken through the ice that forms on McMurdo Sound to allow access for the tanker and cargo ship.

This year's icebreaking operations were more challenging for two reasons: the extent of the sea ice was much greater than in previous years, and only one Coast Guard icebreaker was available to perform the mission.

The sea ice normally extends roughly 10 nautical miles from McMurdo Station. This year, the ice edge was more than 80 nautical miles from the station.

Further complicating the operation, the Polar Star's sister ship, Polar Sea, is drydocked for longterm repairs.

NSF chartered the Krasin from the Far East Shipping Co., a Russian firm. A search by officials in NSF's Office of Polar Programs revealed that Krasin was the only qualified ship available on the world market to assist the Polar Star

 

-NSF-

 

 

 

Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF, (703) 292-7761, email: pwest@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

mail icon Get News Updates by Email 

Connect with us online
NSF website: nsf.gov
NSF News: nsf.gov/news
For News Media: nsf.gov/news/newsroom
Statistics: nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards database: nsf.gov/awardsearch/

Follow us on social
Twitter: twitter.com/NSF
Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF
Instagram: instagram.com/nsfgov