<p>The United States Coast Guard heavy icebreaker Polar Star arrived in Hobart, Australia, on the morning of February 15</a> after completing an ice cutting operation in Antarctica.</p><p>The ship, which originally sailed from Seattle, plowed a channel through about 15 miles (24 kilometers) of ice about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) in the McMurdo Sound strait. According to a Coast Guard press release</a>, the Antarctica operation faced multiple logistical challenges, including flooding in the ship’s engine room at a rate of 20 gallons per minute and a gas turbine failure.</p><p>This file footage from January 13 shows the ship in McMurdo Sound. Credit: US Coast Guard via Storyful</p><br />
