61 



construction of a salvage unit composed of three 

 surface ships, an underwater diver's hut, and a 

 submersible decompression chamber will be made. 

 Research on gas generation under ambient 

 sea pressines, displacement and dewatering 

 materials, and pontoons systems controllability 

 is planned. Problems associated with adapting 

 deep submergence vehicles for salvage use will 

 also be investigated. 



5. NR-1 Nuclear Ocean Engineering 

 and Research Vehicle 



The capabilities of manned underwater re- 

 search vehicles developed to date are limited by 

 the short endurance of propulsion and auxiliary 

 power. De\elopment of a nuclear propulsion plant 

 will give a research vehicle the freedom to move 

 over the ocean bottom for weeks at a time. The 

 vehicle's endurance will not be determined by 

 the powerplant but rather by the crew and food 

 and water supplies. 



The Department of the Navy and the Atomic 

 Energy Commission are jointly developing a 

 nuclear powered deep submergence research and 

 ocean engineering vehicle, designated "NR-1." 

 The capability of this manned prototype vehicle 

 will be far greater than any other developed or 

 planned to date because of the vastly increased 

 endurance made possible by nuclear power. 



The Navy's DSP has overall responsibility for 

 the NR-l's development. The Bureau of Ships is 

 responsible for vehicle design, development, and 

 construction. The Atomic Energ)' Commission's 

 Division of Naval Reactors is responsible for the 

 design, development, construction, and test of 

 the nuclear propulsion plant. Design and develop- 

 ment of the reactor has been assigned to the 

 Atomic Energy Commission's Knolls Atomic 

 Power Laboratory, Schenectady, New York. De- 

 sign and construction of the vehicle will be done 

 at General Dynamics Corporation's Electric Boat 

 Division, Groton, Connecticut. 



A pressurized water reactor of low power will 

 be used to provide vehicle propulsion and aux- 

 iliary power. The reactor will be located in the 

 vehicle so as to minimize shield weight. A cy- 

 lindrical pressure hull fabricated of HY-80 steel 

 will be used for the vehicle. Viewing ports and 

 lights for viewing outside the vehicle, cameras 

 for taking pictures of what is seen, and apparatus 



to pick up items from the bottom of the ocean 

 will be provided. 



Development of the NR-1 was annoimced by 

 the President on April 18, 1965. The area of the 

 ocean floor made accessible by this vehicle in- 

 cludes all of the world's continental shelves. Be- 

 cause of its long submerged endurance, this 

 vehicle will be able to perform tasks heretofore 

 only imagined. It will be able to perform detailed 

 studies and mapping of the ocean bottom for 

 commercial and scientific purposes. It will be 

 able to obtain information leading toward greater 

 exploitation and control of the oceans' resources, 

 including marine life and minerals. It will be 

 capable of locating and retrieving objects of 

 commercial, scientific, and military value from 

 the ocean. This vehicle will be made available 

 for use by agencies other than the Navy. 



The cost to the Navy is estimated to be $30 

 million, all of which is derived from FY 1965 

 fimds. The Atomic Energy Commission is pro- 

 gramming $3,000,000 for FY 1967 for develop- 

 ment and procurement of the vehicle's reactor 

 system. (See AEC, p. 65.) 



Naval Oceanographic Office 



FY 1966-$ 385,000 

 FY 1967-$1,500,000 



NAVOCEANO's engineering effort in FY 1967 

 is being directed in two main channels: The first 

 is the establishment of specific Na\y project 

 requirements for a deep diving research vehicle, 

 including the sensors to be installed, and necessary 

 support equipment. The second is the acquisition 

 of operating experience in these vessels. These 

 must necessarily go forward concurrently, since 

 effective future use will depend upon employ- 

 ment of the URV as a tool integrated into the total 

 package of oceanographic hardware and ships. 



To accomplish these aims, URVs will be leased 

 to gain operating experience and explore tech- 

 niques for the tise of these craft. Based on this 

 experience, firm requirements will be de\eloped 

 and designs completed for two shallow depth 

 vehicles in FY 1967. Preliminary consideration 

 will be given to design and requirements for a 

 very deep diving vehicle dining the same time 



