| 2001 |
Idea |
| 2002 |
Evaluation of the German Wissenschaftsrat. (Proposal was postponed in order to prepare a technical feasibility study) |
| 2004 |
Scientific Perspective: AURORA BOREALIS: A long-term European Perspective for Deep Arctic Ocean Research 2006–2016 |
| 2004 |
Technical Feasibility Study AURORA BOREALIS, University of Applied Sciences Bremen and Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA) |
| 2005 |
New evaluation of the German Wissenschaftsrat |
| 2006 |
Positive review and recommendation to construct the ship with obligations |
| 2007–2009 |
BMBF funding for technical refinement and implementation in the international science community |
| 2007 |
May: Submission of a proposal to the European Commission for the ESFRI preparatory phase |
| 2007 |
December: Acceptance of bid to SCHIFFKO GmbH, Hamburg, for the general design of AURORA BOREALIS |
| 2008–2012 |
EU funding for the ERICON-AURORA BOREALIS project within the ESFRI preparatory phase |
| 2008 |
May–June: Ice model tests, Aker Arctic Technology Inc., Helsinki, Finland |
| 2008 |
May–September: Ice model tests, Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA), Hamburg, Germany |
| 2008 |
July: Seakeeping tests, Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA), Hamburg, Germany |
| 2008 |
December: Presentation of the European Research Icebreaker of the Future AURORA BOREALIS, Berlin, Germany |
| 2008 |
December: Presentation (booth) of AURORA BOREALIS at the AGU meeting in San Francisco, USA |
