Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-08-06

The Atomic Energy Commission has taken
an altogether logical step in arranging with the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation for the de-
sign and development of nuclear power plant
for the propulsion of aircraft carriers and other
large surface vessels. Work on such an engine
follows naturally on the great progress already
made in building the U. S. S. Nautilus which is to
be the worlds first atom driven submarine.
This revolutionary vessel, whose keel plate
was laid at Groton, Connecticut, last June IA, will
be an operating reality in the relatively near fu-
ture. It's atomic engine, which will give it ire
mendous range and enable it to travel submerged
at an unprecedented speed for practically unlim-
tied periods, has been developed by Westinghouse
in cooperation with the Acc, and there is viz
tually no doubt that Westinghouse will be equally
successful in building similar power plant for
ships like aircraft carriers and cruisers.
The not-too- distant advent of such an en-
gine-which could, of course be used to propel
big commercial liners as well-seems the more
certain because the General Electric Company
is working closely with the Acc in the same
field. GEES work involves development Of nu-
clear power plant different from the Westing-
house type but also designed for a submarine.
The work involves, in addition, special project
to build an atomic airplane-a fabulous under
taking in which the experts are confident of
achieving eventual success even though the time
required may be considerably longer than in the
case of the Nautilus or an atom-driven carrier.
News reports indicate that officials expect
the projected nuclear engine for surface vessels
to be ready for the second or third of the new
60,000-ton Supercarriers being planned by the
Navy. However, unless the engine requires an
extraordinary ship design the first of these huge
carriers-the Forrestal, which is scheduled to be
commissioned in 1954-conceivably may lend it
self to change-over from an orthodox power
plant to atomic propulsion. In any case, it is
clear that we are steadily moving toward the
day when small amounts of fashionable material,
by doing away with the need for vast amounts
of fuel oil, will bring about revolution at sea.
Thus, like the submarine Nautilus, atomic
carriers or cruisers of the future-or atomic COM
mercial liners-will require, relatively speaking,
only bucketful of pure nuclear fuel to sail over
vast distances at remarkable speed. They will
not have to carry thousands of tons of oil, as
do today's big vessels, and their freedom from
that requirement can hardly fail to have pro-
foundry far-reaching effect on ocean-going oper-
atoms in terms of either peaceful enterprise or
military action. ~ r.
Nor is only the sea involved in all this. In
due course there will be nuclear engines for fan
taStically fast travel in the sky. And on land, by
the same token, there will be nuclear engines
for industrial power capable of bringing vast
benefits to the whole of humanity Certainly,
if the world can do away with war, the young
children of today will live to see wonders UNI
dreamed of by most of us just few short years
ago.