The [4,500-mile] journey across the Arctic Ocean is the third leg in the Moscow-based Polar Ring Expedition, whose goal is to pay tribute to generations of Arctic explorers by forging a new route as a "unique bridge" between northern nations. ...
From Salekhard, the crew will drive specially designed trucks to the northern tip of Komsomolets Island, known as the Arctic Cape, where it will begin to pilot its way due north across a 3,000-kilometer swath of floating ice surrounding the North Pole.
The team plans to reach the North Pole, where it plans to hold a news conference and to place a time capsule under the ice, with a message to future generations. It will then head south through Canada's Arctic islands, aiming to reach Resolute Bay, Nunavut, by early June.
... Beyond attracting attention to the shrinking size of polar ice caps, the expedition will perform experiments on Arctic survival strategies, as well as test how well its vehicles, which can float on water, far on the unpredictable terrain of the ice caps.
The group has already completed a partial circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean on land and intends to complete that journey next year, including the portion of the trip across Alaska's Arctic coast.
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