![]() The Nautilus was powered by the Submarine Thermal Reactor, later redesignated as the S2W reactor, a pressurised water reactor produced for the US Navy by Westinghouse Electric Corporation. On the 12th of December 1951, the US Navy announced that the submarine would be called Nautilus. The US Congress authorised the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine for the US Navy in July 1951, which was planned and supervised by Captain Hyman G. In March 1950, the initial design phase of the world’s first nuclear submarine began as project SCB 64. Crews had to start stocking much more food for these longer journeys! Design and development For example, the nuclear reactor allows a submarine to operate at high speed for a long time. Nuclear submarines offer many other significant advantages over conventional submarines. This made the USS Nautilus the ideal candidate to undertake “Operation Sunshine”, a trip to the north pole that President Eisenhower ordered to demonstrate the potential of the soon-to-come military technology of “submarine-launched ballistic missiles” (SLBMs). First nuclear submarine – USS Nautilus – Courtesy Argonne National Laboratory A nuclear submarine was a different beast: it could stay underwater for 2 weeks. Wilkinson as the boat’s first commander.īefore nuclear-powered engines, diesel-powered submarines could only stay underwater for 48 hours and had to return to a port to refuel. It was commissioned at Groton, Connecticut, USA, on the 30th of September 1954, with Commander Eugene P. ![]() The world’s first nuclear-powered submarine was the USS Nautilus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |