The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) will be the operator of the ISP commissioned by Roshydromet. With the platform, the AARI will be able to continue the practice of high-latitude expeditions, which began in 1937 and was interrupted in 2015 due to thinning Arctic ice and the inability to ensure the safety of scientific stations placed on the open ice. Alexander Stotsky, General Director of the Project Office for Arctic Development, talks about this.

According to the AARI, the North Pole will make its maiden voyage to Murmansk on 1 September 2022, before heading to the Central Arctic with an expedition on board.

The ISP is designed as a research centre, capable of drifting autonomously in the high Arctic Ocean year-round, with enough fuel on board for a continuous two-year voyage. In addition, the North Pole is equipped with its own propulsion system, allowing for speeds of at least 10 knots, and can move independently on the ice without icebreaker guidance. The platform houses 15 laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment for geological, geophysical, acoustic, oceanographic and other research.

The ISP will bring the capabilities of national science in the Arctic to a whole new level. Russian specialists will be able to implement long-term high-latitude research programmes associated with a continuous presence in the polar region. This, in turn, will create new competitive advantages for Russia in the development of the Arctic.