"Operation Deep Freeze"

Almost 25 years ago to the day, the Polar Star’s sister ship set the previous record.

Each year, the crew maneuvers the nearly 400-foot, 13,000-ton icebreaker to cut a channel to McMurdo Station, the U.S. Antarctic Program’s logistics hub.

The United States’ only heavy icebreaker will soon be back in service after a four-year, $90 million renovation.