Photo: Joe Haupt (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking the public s help in determining the future of the world s first nuclear-powered merchant ship.
The NS Savannah was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. and launched in 1959 as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower s Atoms for Peace Program to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ship was removed from service in 1971 and the reactor was defueled. Registered as a National Historic Landmark since 1991, the ship is currently part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) in retention status. All that remains of the vessel s nuclear power plant are its systems, structures and components.