62 years ago today: The USS Nautilus passes under the North Pole

[Marlin]

62 years ago today: The USS Nautilus passes under the North Pole

https://www.ans.org/news/article-402/62-years-ago-today-the-uss-nautilus-passes-under-the-north-pole/

[Core Content]

The USS Nautilus completed the first submerged transit of the North Pole on August 3, 1958. This mission demonstrated the long-term operational capabilities of nuclear-powered vessels and necessitated the development of specialized navigation technology for polar environments. The voyage confirmed that nuclear propulsion could sustain extended underwater operations in previously inaccessible regions.

Being stuck under the ice with no obvious exit route is a classic movie scene that is guaranteed to instill fear in any audience. There is no doubt that Cmdr. William R. Anderson and the crew of the USS ​Nautilus​ must have felt some of this fear when they circumvented the polar ice cap 62 years ago, reaching the North Pole on August 3, 1958.

Although it was already known that the Nautilus could operate almost indefinitely underwater, there were many unknowns for such a trip. There was uncertainty in the relative ice thickness to water depth, and the magnetic pole required the use of new navigation technology. Being trapped or lost under the ice was a very real possibility, and there would be no rescue.

Read the full article at ans.org:
https://www.ans.org/news/article-402/62-years-ago-today-the-uss-nautilus-passes-under-the-north-pole/