NR-1 Sub Brief

Every officer in the submarine service is a nuc.... except the chop. My dad was a sub qualified chop. He served on the Dallas.

What do you mean bad for the environment? The NR-1 did not leak radiation, could you imagine the uproar the hippies would be in if it did?

Chronus

Seems dangerous to me. But honestly I know nothing about reactors! Surely it was not good for the environment, but guess it was a very different time back then! Thanks for the answers. Every day is school day! Lol

Was the reactor in NR-1 ever refueled? Wikipedia does not mention any refueling. I have read that the S9G reactors in Virginia-class SSNs are intended to last the life of the ship without refueling.

Perhaps the weight budget would not allow much lead shielding to absorb gamma rays, but might allow sufficient boron shielding to absorb neutrons.

Hello, out of context, but just seen this video, did you heard of it, is that true? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8XuYgoH8c

Hub

She suffered an electrical circuit breaker failure during transit across the Atlantic. This caused her to shut down the reactor and run the battery for a day. To complicate things a nasty storm delayed recovery. That was about the most excitement NR-1 experienced. I'm sure it was nerve-racking for those on board.

Aaron Amick

Awesome sub brief thank you!! QQ so in her 40 year career there were no incidents or mishaps of any kind? That is really amazing!

Awesome Sub Brief, what a fascinating little sub!

[γδ(αμ)]

What an amazing story and proof of what motivated individuals can achieve when the set themselves selves to a project. Cudos to you Admr Rickover Sir

Understood, thank you

Probably not to a significant amount or to a level that would be a hazard over the long term. Induced radioactivity more typically is a problem where there is a high neutron flux level, for example right next to the core of a high capacity nuclear reactor. NR-1s reactor was tiny, and there is a good distance between the most of the hull and reactor. When the ship was scrapped there would have been a stringent survey made of the hull to check the level if any of induced radioactivity in the parts (as with anything nuclear). If there was any the parts would be put aside as low level nuclear waste to cool off.

My dad worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for SUBMEP while they were doing the defueling on the sub. I remember being there to watch it get towed away.

Noob question (apologies). But, if the reactor was not shielded, would the hull not be radioactive?

Excellent, thank you! Those photos of the final control station were taken in a storage facility in Keyport, WA...sometimes shown to the public. Bremerton, WA was probably where the sub was taken apart, partly for scrap.

Congrats JB !