USS Triton was the first nuclear-powered vessel to circumnavigate Earth.
In 1960, Triton completed Operation Sandblast, a submerged circumnavigation that followed a route broadly similar to Ferdinand Magellan’s 16th-century voyage. The submarine departed the United States in February and returned in May after traveling more than 36,000 nautical miles.
Triton’s reactor propulsion allowed the boat to remain submerged throughout the voyage, demonstrating the endurance and reliability of nuclear submarines. The mission also served as a major U.S. Navy public-relations and technological achievement during the Cold War.
USS Nautilus had already reached the North Pole beneath the ice, but Triton’s accomplishment was different: it was the first complete global circumnavigation by a nuclear-powered vessel. Triton was later converted for other duties and ultimately scrapped.