Two ships are slowly approaching each other in the twilight of the Arctic polar winter: they are the “Polarstern” and their Russian supply icebreaker “Kapitan Dranitsyn” – actors of the largest arctic expedition ever.
The research icebreaker “Polarstern” has been traveling in arctic pack ice since autumn 2019. With the transpolar drift, the ship, its crew and their research stations built on an ice floe drift through the central Arctic. As part of the so-called MOSAiC expedition, scientists want to collect data on the state of the ice, sea and atmosphere of this region in the middle of the polar winter for the first time.
The 100-strong crew from 20 nations is regularly exchanged and, in addition to new crew members, also supplied with new supplies. Such a shift change has been in full swing again for a few days – before that, those involved were able to enjoy two records in polar research. Because on February 24, 2020 the “Polarstern” came with 88 ° 36 ′ to the northernmost point that a ship ever reached in winter. It was only 156 kilometers from the North Pole.
The “Kapitan Dranitsyn” supply icebreaker, loaded with new researchers and provisions, also set a record on its way to the “Polarstern”. Shortly before his meeting with the research ship, he was at position 88 ° 28 ′ on February 26: Never before has a ship made it this far north of its own accord. “These records mark milestones on the MOSAiC expedition,” says Markus Rex, expedition leader from the Alfred Wegener Institute.
After changing shifts, the scientists begin the third section of the expedition. The sea ice will become even more compact in the coming weeks – even an icebreaker will then no longer be able to penetrate the frozen research ship. The next rendezvous with crew exchange and replenishment delivery in April will therefore take place by plane. Overall, the “Polarstern” will drift through the Arctic Ocean until autumn 2020.