L'Astrolabe icebreaker

FNS L'Astrolabe is a French icebreaker specifically designed for Antarctic operations. She is a polar logistics (supply) vessel serving France's Dumont d'Urville Station in Adélie Land, Antarctica. Launched in 2017, the new L'Astrolabe replaced the old namesake (a 1986-built ship) previously owned by P&O Maritime Services (France).

The vessel (IMO number 9797539) is France-flagged (MMSI 227819100).

Construction began in June 2015 after France’s Ministry of Overseas Territories awarded the contract to Chantiers Piriou shipyard in Concarneau, France. The design, by Aker Arctic (Finland), was based on a concept developed by Marine Assistance (France). The vessel is state-owned and jointly operated by TAAF (French Southern and Antarctic Lands), IPEV (Paul-Émile Victor Polar Institute), and the French Navy.

As Chantiers Piriou had no prior experience building icebreakers, the company subcontracted Aker Arctic for the design and model testing. Due to a heavy workload at Chantiers Piriou, hull construction was subcontracted to CRIST shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. Work started on December 16, 2015. The ship was floated out on December 22, 2016, then towed back to Concarneau for outfitting.

Antarctic itinerary

L'Astrolabe’s service program began in 2017 with her deployment from Europe to the Indian Ocean. In 2018, she carried out her first supply mission to Dumont d'Urville Station.

The ship transports supplies and personnel from Hobart (Tasmania, Australia) to Antarctica, completing up to 5 round trips each season (November through March).

• Adélie Land (Terre Adélie) is a French Antarctic territory extending from the Southern Ocean inland to the Geographic South Pole. The claim is made only by France and not internationally recognized by most countries.
• French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF) include the Kerguelen Islands (southern Indian Ocean), St Paul and Amsterdam Islands (north of Kerguelen), the Crozet Islands (south of Madagascar), Adélie Land (Antarctica), and the Scattered Islands (around Madagascar).

Dumont d'Urville Station (Antarctica)

Dumont d'Urville Station is operated by IPEV. It replaced Port Martin Station (France’s first Antarctic base), which was destroyed by fire on January 23, 1952. The new station opened on January 12, 1956.

The base is active year-round. However, due to ice and strong winds, landings by Zodiacs and helicopters are often impossible. Capacity is up to 40 people in winter and 120 in summer, supported by regular supply missions. Research focuses on local wildlife, notably emperor penguins nesting in summer. Other species include skuas, petrels (snow, giant, Cape), and marine mammals such as killer whales and rorquals (baleen whales).

L'Astrolabe icebreaker vessel details

Compared to the old L'Astrolabe, the new vessel is 6 m (20 ft) longer and 3 m (10 ft) wider. She has a cargo capacity of 1200 tons and accommodations for up to 60 people, including crew. A helicopter hangar is located below deck.

The ship is powered by four Wärtsilä 20 marine diesel engines, driving two controllable-pitch propellers via twin shafts. She is Bureau Veritas classified as Icebreaker 5 class, enabling operations in one-year-old ice up to 1.2 m (4 ft) thick. She can also ram packed ice at speeds up to 5.5 knots (10 km/h / 6 mph).

Note: In areas with poor AIS coverage, real-time vessel tracking may be unavailable. For a full list of icebreakers and icebreaking research ships, visit the “Itinerary” section of our Icebreakers hub, where all states and fleets are listed.