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See Inside a Submarine
Here's your chance to lead yourself on an unsupervised
stroll through a nuclear-powered attack submarine. These
stunning 360-degree photographs, or Quicktime VRs, will give
you unprecedented views of everything from the torpedo room
to the crew's mess. Click on the links below to tour either
the USS Springfield, an
active Los Angeles-class sub, or the
USS Nautilus, the world's
first nuclear submarine.
You will need
QuickTime
to be able to view the QuickTime VRs.
See below for non-QTVR versions.
Tour the USS Springfield (SSN 761)
Commissioned on January 9, 1993, USS Springfield is a
Los Angeles-class nuclear powered Attack Submarine (SSN). A
controlled nuclear reaction generates the heat which turns
water into the steam that drives the sub's engine. While the
design of the nuclear reactor is still classified, much of the
remainder of the sub can now be viewed. We invite you to take
a "virtual walk" through this active nuclear powered
submarine.
-
Crew: 14 Officers, 18 Chief Petty Officers, 109
Enlisted
-
Armament: Four torpedo tubes; Twelve vertical launch
tubes
MK-48 Torpedoes, Tomahawk missiles and mines
- Length: 362 feet
- Beam (hull diameter) 33 feet
-
Maximum depth: In excess of 800 feet
-
Power plant: One pressurized-water nuclear
reactor
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Speed: In excess of 25 knots (or 29 miles per
hour)
Tour the USS Nautilus (SSN 571)
"Underway on nuclear power." With these words, Commanding
Officer Eugene P. Wilkinson ordered all lines cast off the
first nuclear-powered submarine in the world, the USS
Nautilus, on January 17, 1955. Nautilus' nuclear
generator allowed it to dive longer, faster, and deeper than
any submarine before it. Nautilus continued to break
records in 1958 by becoming the first vessel to cross the
North Pole. Decommissioned in 1980, the sub was converted into
a museum in 1985. Stairs and glass walls were added to allow
visitors to pass through and marvel at this historic vessel.
Today, in Groton, Connecticut, all of the
Nautilus (save the engine room) is open to the public.
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Crew: 11 officers, 100 enlisted
- Armament: 6 torpedo tubes
- Length: 319 feet
- Beam (hull diameter): 27 feet
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Maximum depth: In excess of 400 feet
- Power plant: Steam (nuclear)
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Speed: In excess of 20 knots (23 miles per hour)
Non-QTVR USS Springfield Tour
Non-QTVR USS Nautilus Tour
Photos: US Navy
See Inside a Submarine
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Can I Borrow Your Sub?
Sounds Underwater
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| Updated May 2002
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