Research charter
Instrument space, time in ice and delivered data for universities and institutes.
Charter an ice capable research vessel.
Meridian Polar is a sailing research vessel in design, planned for service in 2029. Between and during our own voyages, the vessel, crew and data system will work for research teams, survey clients, film crews and training groups.
We take expressions of interest now, so the first seasons are planned around real needs and the instrument layout is shaped by the people who will use it.
- Status
- In design
- Cold chamber and ice trials
- 2027
- Build
- 2028
- First season
- From 7 June 2029
- Home port
- Vollen, Asker · 59°47′N 10°29′E
Six kinds of work, one platform in the ice.
Robot mother ship
Launch, recover, charge and connect gliders, underwater robots and drones.
Coastal survey
Seabed mapping and coastal water sampling in Svalbard, Greenland and Nunavut.
Film and education
Tell the polar expedition live through documentaries, museums and schools.
Training
Teach ice navigation, polar seamanship and field science methods.
Field support
Support expeditions and test sensors, batteries, drives and materials in cold water.
From one instrument to the whole vessel.
A science place on a leg
Send an instrument, or a scientist, on a scheduled leg of our own voyages. Every leg will carry a science programme, and passage data across open ocean is part of it.
A whole leg
Take a scheduled leg and shape its programme, stops and sampling around your project. The route and dates stay; the science is yours.
A charter window
The vessel, crew and data system for your own programme, in an open window between our voyages. Most open time falls in the Arctic seasons at home.
Operating areas in both polar regions.
Inaugural Season World Voyage Operating area
Inaugural Season World Voyage Operating area
| Area | Season | Ports | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Svalbard and the Barents Sea | Jun to Sep | Longyearbyen and Tromsø | Sea ice, glacier fronts, robots, training |
| B Northern Norway | All year | Tromsø | Polar night work, trials, film, schools |
| C Jan Mayen | Jul | Akureyri and Longyearbyen | Open ocean transect, seabirds, sound |
| D East Greenland, Scoresby Sund | Aug | Akureyri and Reykjavik | Fjord and coastal survey, ice edge |
| E West Greenland, Disko Bay | Jul 2031 | Ilulissat and Nuuk | Icebergs, coastal survey, glacier outflow |
| F Northwest Passage and Nunavut | Aug to Sep 2031 | Cambridge Bay | Arctic Ocean observations on Gjøa's route |
| G Antarctic Peninsula | Dec to Feb | Ushuaia | Ice, whales, microplastics, film |
| H South Georgia and the Falklands | Feb to Mar | Puerto Williams and Stanley | Ecosystem and seabed survey |
| I Ross Sea and the Bay of Whales | Jan to Mar 2032 | Lyttelton and Hobart | Southern Ocean data on Fram's route |
Where the vessel will be, month by month.
Grey blocks are our own voyage legs, where science places and whole legs are open to partners. Magenta blocks are open windows for a dedicated charter. All dates are planned and will be confirmed 12 to 24 months ahead.
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2029
Trials
Norway, Svalbard, Greenland
Canaries
Atlantic south
2030
Antarctica, home
Arctic season
Yard
Polar night
2031
Polar night
Yard, prepare
Northwest Passage, Pacific
NZ
2032
NZ
Ross Sea
Australia
Coral Sea, Indian Ocean
Mauritius
Africa, South Atlantic
2033
Antarctica, home
Arctic season
Own voyage legs Open charter window Trials and yard
| Open window | Area | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep to 4 Oct 2029 | Canary Islands | Warm water trials and field support before the Atlantic crossing |
| Jun to Sep 2030 | Svalbard and the Barents Sea (A) | The main Arctic charter season from Tromsø and Longyearbyen |
| Mid Nov 2030 to Feb 2031 | Northern Norway (B) | Polar night research, training and film |
| 10 Dec 2031 to 4 Jan 2032 | New Zealand | Subject to local rules |
| 18 Mar to 30 Apr 2032 | Australia | Subject to local rules |
| 21 Aug to 17 Sep 2032 | Mauritius | Subject to local rules |
| From late Jun 2033 | Svalbard and Northern Norway (A, B) | Back in Arctic home waters |
What the platform is designed to carry.
- Hull
- Designed to freeze into sea ice and drift with it, the way Maud did.
- Propulsion
- Sail first, with electric drive for quiet work on station and clean sound recordings.
- Robots
- Launch and recovery for gliders, underwater robots and drones, with charging on board.
- Science
- Space and power for your instruments, and a small team of scientists.
- Ice awareness
- Edge AI ice detection from camera, thermal and radar, in development.
- Data
- Iridium for small packets anywhere, broadband satellite for imagery when available, and a path to open archives.
The design is still developing. Read more on Technology.
From a first note to a firm date.
Register interest
Tell us what you want to do, where and roughly when. It takes three minutes and commits you to nothing.
A conversation
We talk through the work, the instruments, permits and data, and whether a place, a leg or a window fits.
Letter of intent
A short letter for your funding application. Founding partners help shape the layout for science.
Contract
Once the build is under way and the date is firm, 12 to 24 months ahead.
Tell us about your work.
Or write to post@meridianpolar.com
Before you get in touch.
Is the vessel built?
Not yet. Meridian Polar is in design, with cold chamber and ice trials in 2027, the build in 2028 and the first season from June 2029. An expression of interest now helps us plan the seasons and the science layout.
Can we bring our own instruments?
Yes. Tell us the size, power and data needs early, so space, mounts and connections are part of the design.
Who owns the data?
You do. Our own data is open by default, and for charter work we agree in the contract what is published, when and where.
Who handles permits?
We plan the vessel side, including notice to the Norwegian Polar Institute for Antarctica at least a year ahead and the Svalbard rules. Research permits stay with the research team, and we help where we can.