Polar Route

Safe navigation in ice covered waters, from the Arctic to the Baltic, requires precise sea ice information. Following the success of the mFUND project FAST-CAST 2 – which automated ship routing in ice-covered waters using SAR imagery classified by 'stage of development' and ice drift forecasts – Drift+Noise Polar Services GmbH leads the ESA feasibility study 'Polar Route’, with DLR’s Maritime Safety and Security Lab Bremen as subcontractor. The project tests DLR's algorithm fusing SAR and altimeter data to estimate sea ice freeboard at high resolution. While prior classification methods yield only discrete values, this approach generates continuous freeboard estimation (the ice protruding above water), offering a far more precise correlation with total ice thickness to evaluate its suitability for strategic navigation.