What kind of ship is POLARSTERN?

POLARSTERN is an icebreaker sailing under the flag of Germany, built in 1982 by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. The vessel is 117.9 m long with a beam of 25 m and has a gross tonnage of 12,614.

Who is recorded as the owner or manager of POLARSTERN?

Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is recorded as Registered owner for POLARSTERN (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.

What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for POLARSTERN?

Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for POLARSTERN from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels and the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for POLARSTERN. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

POLARSTERN

Icebreaker · Germany · built 1982 · AIS Class A

IMO8013132MMSI211202460Call signDBLKLast AIS position Aug 26, 2026, 01:57 UTC

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In short

POLARSTERN (Icebreaker, Germany flag) was last seen on AIS on Aug 26, 2026, 01:57 UTC, under way at 8 kn, in the Arctic Ocean. Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report. Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (source: Wikidata).

Vessel type: Icebreaker
Flag: Germany
Year built: 1982
Gross tonnage: 12,614
Size (length × beam): 118 m × 25 m
Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

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Last reported position

received Aug 26, 2026, 01:57 UTC

Position: 84.0333° N, 13.72° E
Area: Arctic Ocean
StatusWhat do AIS statuses mean?: Under way using engine
Speed: 8 kn
Course: 348°
Heading: —

84.0333° N, 13.72° E

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Voydar detected no port call in the last 30 days.

Port calls are detected by Voydar from AIS (at least 30 minutes slow inside a harbour area); see Port calls below.

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Identity & particulars

Name: POLARSTERN
IMO numberWhat is an IMO number?: 8013132
MMSIWhat is an MMSI?: 211202460
Call signWhat is a call sign?: DBLK
Flag: Germany
Vessel type: Icebreaker
AIS ship type: Other
Gross tonnageGross tonnage vs deadweight: 12,614
Net tonnage: 3,784
Deadweight (DWT): Source: Wikidata, record Q558338. Added to Voydar on September 23, 2026. Licence: CC0 1.0.4,374 t
Length overall: 117.9 m
Beam: 25 m
Year built: 1982

A tag next to a value names the register that supplied it (hover or tap it for the record and date). Values without a tag come from the ship's own AIS broadcasts or from Wikidata. Position and identity are derived live from AIS.

Ownership & management

Each line shows where the fact comes from. Links backed by an identifier point to the company page.

Registered owner: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Operator: Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Builder: Nobiskrug
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Source: Wikidata · reported · confidence 0.8 · retrieved Sep 22, 2026

Emissions & fuel consumption

Independently verified annual figures reported under the EU MRV regulation — public environmental data the incumbents don't surface.

Year	CO₂ emitted	Fuel burned	Time at sea	CO₂ / n mile
2018	15,027 t	4,687 t	184 days	497 kg

Source: European Commission / EMSA THETIS-MRV (EU Regulation 2015/757). Covers voyages to, from and within the EU/EEA.

About POLARSTERN

RV Polarstern (meaning Polaris) is a German research icebreaker of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, Germany. Polarstern was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel and Nobiskrug in Rendsburg, was commissioned in 1982, and is mainly used for research in the Arctic and Antarctica. The ship has a length of 118 metres (387 feet) and is a double-hulled icebreaker. She is operational at temperatures as low as −50 °C (−58 °F). Polarstern can break through ice 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) thick at a speed of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). Thicker ice of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) can be broken by ramming.

Summary from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked questions

Where is POLARSTERN now?: POLARSTERN (Icebreaker, Germany flag) was last seen on AIS on Aug 26, 2026, 01:57 UTC, under way at 8 kn, in the Arctic Ocean. Voydar has no more recent AIS position for this ship. Its current location cannot be established from this report.
What kind of ship is POLARSTERN?: POLARSTERN is an icebreaker sailing under the flag of Germany, built in 1982 by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. The vessel is 117.9 m long with a beam of 25 m and has a gross tonnage of 12,614.
Who is recorded as the owner or manager of POLARSTERN?: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is recorded as Registered owner for POLARSTERN (source: Wikidata). This source record does not independently confirm today’s ownership or management.
What sanctions and inspection records does Voydar hold for POLARSTERN?: Voydar has no matched sanctions record displayed for POLARSTERN from the OFAC SDN list, the UK Sanctions List, the Canadian autonomous sanctions list, the EU list of designated vessels and the New Zealand Russia Sanctions Register. Coverage may be incomplete; this is not sanctions clearance. No matched inspection records are displayed for POLARSTERN. Missing records do not establish whether the ship has been detained.

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