On 7 September 1991, Polarstern, assisted by the Swedish arctic icebreaker Oden, reached the North Pole as the first conventional powered vessels.

[3] Both scientific parties and crew took oceanographic and geological samples and had a common tug of war and a football game on an ice floe.

[12] After 389 days, this 2019 – 2020 arctic expedition successfully ended on 12 October 2020 when the research vessel safely returned to its home port of Bremerhaven, Germany.

[13] A revised request for bids for a replacement, reflecting changes in technology since the first was issued, was expected, with Polarstern II possibly ordered in 2022 to enter service in 2026 or 2027.

The new vessel could cost over €800m, and could include hybrid diesel-electric propulsion, integrated under-water robotic systems and several helicopter landing options.