MOL to Operate Japan's Arctic Research Vessel Mirai II
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has signed an agreement with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) to operate the Arctic research vessel Mirai II, with operations scheduled to start in December 2026.The Mirai II will serve as an international research platform and will be the first Japanese research vessel equipped with icebreaking capability. Its first Arctic Ocean expedition is scheduled for around summer 2027.MOL has been preparing to establish the vessel's operational framework since it was selected in 2023 as its prospective operator, alongside wholly owned subsidiaries
Polarstern Reaches Sailing Milestone
On 26 August 2026, the German research icebreaker Polarstern reached the milestone of covering two million nautical miles since it entered service on 9 December 1982.The distance covered – a total of two million nautical miles – is equivalent to around 3.7 million kilometers, which is just over 92 circumnavigations of the Earth at the equator. And that is roughly ten times the distance from the Earth to the Moon (360,000 to 410,000 kilometers, depending on the elliptical orbit).It remains to be seen, however, just how many more miles the Polarstern will cover still. With over 40 years of
August 2026
