The origin of icebreaking in the United States came in the 1830s, with the advent of steam propulsion, however, the design of the icebreaker has been perfected over the years. The purpose of the icebreaking mission is safety, economy, and scientific research.  One of the main missions of icebreaking  is to participate in Operation Deep Freeze. The goal of this mission is to break a channel through multiple feet of ice into McMurdo Station, the United States science research station in Antarctica, to re-supply the station for the next year. During these six-month deployments, POLAR STAR also serves as an underway scientific research platform, taking science parties to previously inaccessible waters.
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