The main US ship for Arctic research is patching together plans for next year's cruises under the shadow of safety concerns, after its marine science officer and a crewman died while diving under the ice. The US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy is scheduled to begin operations in April, as part of International Polar Year, in which hundreds of scientists from at least 60 countries will launch projects at the poles. But US agencies are experiencing considerable challenges, including replacing two ageing icebreakers, securing a crucial helicopter service, and training icebreaker crews for scientific missions.
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