# "THE NUCLEAR NAVY" 1967 U.S. NAVY DOCUMENTARY USS ENTERPRISE USS NAUTILUS HYMAN RICKOVER 25782

This U.S. Navy film "The Nuclear Navy" (1967) with narrator Frank Blair, tells the story of the development of nuclear power for the Navy by the Atomic Energy Commission. Includes a brief history of nuclear reactors and shows the development and activities of the submarine USS Nautilus, the Polaris missile boats, the cruiser USS Long Beach and the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. 00:00 USS Enterprise plaque honoring Democritus, the Greek philosopher who first hypothesized the existence of the atom 2400 years ago. 1:15 Scientists and engineers have harnessed the power of the atom . 2:08 The history of nuclear power is a great detective story that gained momentum in 1938. This progress led to the creation of submersibles and surface ships that can operate for years without refueling. 3:22 Key scientific breakthroughs are highlighted, including the splitting of the uranium-238 atom by Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn in Germany (1938), and Enrico Fermi’s demonstration of a self-sustained nuclear reaction in the US (1942). 4:02 Following WWII, the US Navy and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) began a project to use nuclear power for naval ship propulsion. Captain (later Vice Admiral) Hyman G. Rickover became the driving force behind this initiative. 5:21 Faced with no existing technology, Rickover directed the design and testing of a pressurized water reactor (PWR). A land-based prototype was built in Idaho 6:51 In 1951, the Navy contracted Westinghouse to build a similar plant for…

- Kind: Documentary
- Genres: Documentary, Industrial and advertising
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/25782TheNuclearNavy)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/25782TheNuclearNavy?play=1)