First surface ship to reach the North Pole
- Who
- NS Arktika
- What
- First
- Where
- Russian Federation
- When
- 17 August 1977
The Soviet (now Russian) nuclear-powered icebreaker NS Arktika measured 150 m long, with a beam of 30 m and a maximum displacement of 23,460 tonnes. She began sea trials on 3 November 1974 and operated until 2008. She was capable of breaking through sea ice up to 5 m thick and, on 17 August 1977, became the first ship in history to reach the geographic North Pole.