Launched January 21, 1954
Decommissioned 1980

As the first nuclear-powered submarine (also called an atomic submarine), the U.S.S. Nautilus, unlike conventional submarines, could sustain submersion for prolonged periods. The Nautilus was also larger than any submarine up to that time, measuring 319 feet in length and weighing 3,180 tons. With propulsion turbines driven with steam produced by an atomic reactor, the vessel was capable of speeds exceeding 20 knots (20 nautical miles per hour), which could be sustained almost indefinitely. When the Nautilus—which shares the name of Captain Nemo’s submarine in Jules Verne’s science-fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea—made the historic voyage under the North Pole, it set standards for future nuclear submarine performance. The voyage was also an important event in the history of the nuclear navy, producing public relations benefits as well as scientific results...