USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) escorts motor vessel Stena Polaris through the ice-covered Ross Sea to McMurdo Station during Operation Deep Freeze 2026 [Image 3 of 18]
USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) crew members observe motor vessel Stena Polaris being escorted through the ice-covered Ross Sea to McMurdo Station, Jan. 21, 2026. The U.S. is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, one in which the U.S. National Science Foundation-sponsored research and science programs can be conducted for the betterment of all humanity. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)