Maybe the DoD wants if from the NSF to mount some guns on her bow help âprotectâ the Artic?
The NSF is experiencing massive funding cuts. The emphasis, at least on the Antarctic side of things, is going to be placed on repairing/upgrading the infrastructure on their three stations down there. Which they desperately need to do anyway. The NBP was just too expensive so sheâs down to Palmer one last time for station changover before all the science stuff is taken off of her and she heads back north this Fall. This came as a shock to alot of people in the US Antarctic Program. Strange timesâŠâŠâŠâŠ..
I heard & read the less expensive R/V Sikuliaq will take over some of the science but sheâs very limited. Also that science lobbyists & advocates are begging Congress/Senate for a financial patch to keep the NB Palmer on contract because ECO will likely charter out NBP to other government agency or to Australia, causing NSF/USAP to be without an icebreaker for another decade unless they can hire a foriegn flag latter. Supposedly Congress is going to vote on something in September.
https://www.science.org/content/article/nsf-plans-abrupt-end-lone-u-s-antarctic-research-icebreaker
It would be good news to alot of folks within the USAP if this was the case? I hope so! The NSF was in the design process of a new build Research Vessel for the Antarctic but thatâs been put on the back burner for obvious reasons. Last season they spot chartered a Russian research vessel (polar capable) for just resupply and personnel changes - it worked out well but was expensive. Honestly the vessel was too big for what they needed - the two ECO boats were perfect for this program really - and the people that crewed those two vessels (the Gould was let go last year) just LOVED working down there (easy money except for the weather). The NSF are going to have to figure out what the next steps are short term and they havenât even done that - weâll see!
With this cut to the NSF it makes me wonder about UNOLS and NOAA marine operations. We donât get much current information about them.
A friend of mine works for NOAA and theyâve gone through some cuts (laid some people off) but I donât THINK as much as people think? I know the National Center for Atmospheric Research there in Boulder (one of the places that used to give the time ticks) laid off a whole bunch of folks.
UNOLS took hits as well.
Did they curtail marine operations?
Such as???
Only probationary employees program wide - no marine ops yet except for some contractors
Is there any traction on the new icebreaker that was drawn up a couple years ago? By LeĂdos maybe? Idk who will build that if it ever will get built but it seems crazy to not have an American flagged icebreaker down there
Maybe rent one from Russia they have a lot, even nuclear powered?
Itâs been very quiet about that vessel - They had funding to develop the concepts and etc and Leidos even bought a Naval Arch consultant group. But beyond that, itâs been put on the back burner for now. Really wasnât expected to get up and truly going untill 2026/2027 anyway?
They actually did that last year for resupplying Palmer Station.
@cchick001, Noosfera is Ukrainian, not Russian.
Sorry! So sorry.
Interesting reading for those who care about such things.