Naval Submarine Base New London by the Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment in the 2000s. On January 21, 1954 the first nuclear-powered submarine, , was launched from Groton. "Nautilus" became the first vessel to transit the North Pole during a historic trip across the Arctic in 1958. "Nautilus" spent most of her career assigned to Submarine Squadron 10 located at State Pier in New London. It was retired from service in 1980. In 1982 "Nautilus" was designated a National Historic Landmark in Groton. It is permanently moored south of the main gate, attached to the U.S. Submarine Force Museum. Self-guided tours are available to the public
Arctic exploration of his sea plane, during the rescue operations. The first people to have without doubt walked on the North Pole were the Soviet party of 1948 under the command of Alexander Kuznetsov, who landed their aircraft nearby and walked to the pole. On August 3, 1958, the American submarine reached the North Pole without surfacing. It then proceeded to travel under the entire Polar ice cap. On March 17, 1959 the surfaced on the North Pole and dispersed the ashes of explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins. These journeys were part of military explorations stimulated by the Cold War context. On April