MacArtney Germany has designed and delivered an underwater ice camera system for the research vessel, the R/V Polarstern, a German icebreaker, embarking on a global climate mission to investigate and research previously inaccessible regions during an Arctic winter.
The MOSAiC International Arctic Drift Expedition, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, will collect vital data on climate change over the course of the year.
With a total of 600 scientists from 19 nations taking part over the course of a year, the expedition will complete research on top and beneath the Arctic ice shield, to better understand how changes in the Arctic impact global climate change.
Delivered from MacArtney, the under-ice camera system comprises of several components including LUXUS HD cameras and LUXUS High Power LEDs, powered by 550 meters of hybrid cable.
The package additionally includes an EMO Mini-T Multiplexer and TrustLink stress termination completed with OptoLink and SubConn connectors.
The hybrid cable, manufactured to resist air temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees, along with the rugged design and reliable performance of the TrustLink stress termination ensures safe power supply between the surface and the frozen depths — all deployed by the MacArtney CORMAC B manual drive winch, the company explained.
MacArtney Germany conceptualized, designed, engineered and mounted the underwater ice camera system as well as providing software for operation and data recording.