Photo: United States Coast Guard

USCGC Polar Star (WAGB 10) transits toward an Australian-owned cruise ship in Ross Sea after the vessel requested assistance on the cutter’s 50th birthday amid Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. 17, 2026. The U.S. is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, one in which the U.S. National Science Foundation-sponsored research and science programs can be conducted for the betterment of all humanity. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Bokum)