The Research Vessel Polarstern is the most important resource for German polar research and the flagship of the Alfred Wegener Institute. Commissioned on 9 December 1982, the Polarstern has since logged more [...] latest technologies available. A successor to the Polarstern is also planned. What’s on the odometer? By April 2024, the research icebreaker Polarstern had logged 1,915,605 nautical miles. One nautical [...] Today she’s one of the world’s most advanced and versatile polar research ships in the world. The Polarstern operates an average of 305 days a year, typically cruising in the Antarctic from November to March