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Located in one of the main hall's non-permanent galleries, the new museum exhibit offers visitors a unique opportunity to not only learn about life aboard one of the Navy's most clandestine submarines but also to discover interesting facets relating to many of the crafts noteworthy unclassified missions.
Milestones from the ship's illustrious 40-year career are highlighted through various panel displays and artifacts, including its role in recovery efforts following the space shuttle Challenger tragedy in 1986; its success in locating the turret of the civil war era USS Monitor; and its accomplishment in retrieving a Phoenix missile from a fallen F-14 aircraft during the Cold War.
Adding personal narratives to such NR-1 feats on the grand opening evening were Commander John McGrath, the last Officer in Charge (OIC) of the submarine, and Melissa Ryan, Chief Scientist and Project Manager with Ocean Technology Foundation, who played a major role in the submarine's final mission.
McGrath, who served as the NR-1's OIC from June 2007 to through its deactivation in November 2008, noted that the submarine's advanced abilities were due to its nuclear power plant.
"Nuclear power is part of what made NR-1 special," said McGrath. "It translated to extended submergence and a lot of electrical power."
Electrical power was in high demand aboard NR-1, as the small 145 ft. research submarine was fitted with 29 exterior lights and 13 exterior cameras. Two retractable, under hull tires enhanced maneuverability on the ocean floor.
In fact, because of its unique design, it was the first submarine capable of searching large areas of the ocean bottom efficiently.
"The sonar could detect a soda can a mile away," remarked McGrath, who also noted that the crew of the NR-1 could gather five gigabytes of environmental data per day.
While NR-1 continued to receive new cutting-edge technology to support missions, living conditions to support the crew changed little from the cramped four bunks for eleven personnel and the re-purposed aircraft re-heating oven of the 1960's.
"Meals were like an extended Super Bowl party, mostly from the frozen foods section," said McGrath.
Crews thrived under the challenges.
"The crews were hand-selected and screened prior submariners who were allowed to do just about any job on the ship and operate outside their rates," McGrath said. "It was a tremendous opportunity for great performers."
The performance of NR-1's crew was a major reason that Ryan sought a partnership with the ship for her organization's work. Mystic, Conn.'s Ocean Technology Foundation (OTF) has been searching for the remains of famed American Revolutionary War flagship to John Paul Jones, the Bonhomme Richard, since 2006, with many disappointments.
While undersea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have done work similar to NR-1, the submarine was valuable, because as a manned vessel, its crew could evaluate detected targets immediately.
After receiving approval to support the OTF project in 2008, NR-1 swept a 400 square-mile area in three weeks, a job that would otherwise have taken five years with an ROV, according to Ryan.
The search was to no avail, however, as NR-1 was unsuccessful in locating Bonhomme Richard.
Ryan would have loved to been able to involve the submarine in efforts this past year; but unfortunately, NR-1 had been deactivated.
Instead, Ryan and OTF received the support of a French mine-hunting vessel and its weather-dependent prototype ROV.
"As I bobbed around on the often weathered-out French mine hunter, I kept thinking to myself, 'I wish we had the NR-1 here,'" Ryan said. "She is sorely missed."
McGrath shared her sentiment.
"What I miss most is the crew," he said.
But as he walked through the museum's new exhibit, he brightened as he saw photos of the crew and highlights of NR-1's many missions.
"It warms my heart to see that the ship did not just disappear but will be remembered for its contributions to the Navy and Submarine Force," said McGrath.
The NR-1 Exhibit at the Submarine Force Library and Museum will run through 2010. The museum and Historic Ship Nautilus are located adjacent to Naval Submarine Base New London and are free and open the public. Following a currently on-going, semi-annual maintenance closure, the museum will re-open Nov. 9 and Nautilus will re-open, Nov. 16. Their winter hours are: Wednesday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
