The ice-resistant self-propelled platform "North Pole" of project 00903 of the OSK Vympel design bureau, built at the Admiralty Shipyards of the USC, began operating at a point with coordinates 88°19′ N, 108°06′ E — at a distance of only 100 km from the geographic North Pole.
The Ice-Resistant Platform "North Pole" is 83.1 m long and 22.5 m wide, has a displacement of about 10390 tons, and a speed of 10 knots. The vessel has an ice class of Arc5 and is designed for long-term stay in extreme conditions (up to -50°C), and is also equipped with a helipad and research equipment.
In addition to equipment, the ice-resistant platform can accommodate 34 scientific personnel, and the vessel is serviced by a crew of 14 people.
Scientists have to solve problems in the difficult conditions of the northern winter, because in the Arctic, October is considered the beginning of the coldest time of the year. In the area of the station, the sun no longer rises above the horizon and the polar night has begun.
The infrastructure necessary for research has been deployed near the platform, where scientists conduct comprehensive scientific work in the high-latitude Arctic. This is the only scientific vessel in the world that can operate year-round in the high latitudes of the Arctic Ocean.