USS Thomas A . Edison ( SSBN - 610 ) USS " Thomas A . Edison " ( SSBN - 610 ) , an ballistic - missile submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the inventor , Thomas Edison ( 1847 – 1931 ) . Construction and commissioning . " Thomas A . Edison " s keel was laid down on 15 March 1960 by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation of Groton , Connecticut . She was launched on 15 June 1961 sponsored by Mrs . Madeleine Edison Sloane , and commissioned on 10 March 1962 with Captain Charles M . Young commanding the Blue Crew and Captain Walter Dedrick commanding the Gold Crew . Service history . On 9 April 1962 , during shakedown training off the eastern coast of the United States , " Thomas A . Edison " collided with the destroyer . " Thomas A . Edison " loaded Polaris missile s at Charleston , South Carolina , and embarked upon her first deterrent patrol on 7 November 1962 . She concluded that patrol at the base at Holy Loch , Scotland , from which she operated for the next four years and conducted 17 deterrent patrols . In September 1966 , her official home port was changed from New London , Connecticut , to Charleston , South Carolina , in preparation for her first major overhaul . She ended her 17th patrol at Charleston on 15 October 1966 and began her overhaul on 28 October 1966 . She completed repairs on 9 May 1968 ; and , after post - overhaul sea trials and shakedown , she embarked upon her 18th deterrent patrol on 22 September 1968 . After a shortened 19th patrol , she conducted a " Follow On Target " ( FOT ) test launch . For this test , four missiles were selected at random , their warheads were removed , and telemetry packages were fitted in place of the warheads . " Thomas A . Edison " then proceeded to a location just off the Canary Islands and fired these missiles into the Caribbean . Due to the accuracy and timeliness of these successful launches , the members of that Blue Crew were awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation . Through June 1973 , " Thomas A . Edison " operated out of New London and Rota , Spain , from which ports she conducted another 19 deterrent patrols in the Mediterranean Sea . In June 1973 , she was transferred to the United States Pacific Fleet , arriving in San Diego , California , on 11 July 1973 . After a short period of operations with Submarine Group 5 , she moved to Vallejo , California , on 6 August 1973 to begin another overhaul , this time at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo , California . On 30 November 1974 , she completed repairs and , following shakedown in January and February 1975 , she transited the Panama Canal again in March 1975 to fire test missiles near Cape Canaveral , Florida . She concluded that mission in July and retransited the Canal on 8 August 1975 . " Thomas A . Edison " carried out operations along the United States West Coast until December 1975 , at which time she headed for her new home port , Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . Although her home port was Pearl Harbor , the Edison conducted deterrent patrols out of Apra Harbor in Guam until about 1980 . During these patrols , she made several port visits to Chin Hae , South Korea . Also , during the late 70s , she conducted a second FOT launch of four ballistic missiles . It was during this FOT operation that she headed south across the equator in order to launch , successfully , back north of the equator . In 1980 , the Edison arrived in Guam for the last time at which time the Blue and Gold crews were consolidated . In 1981 , in compliance with the SALT I treaty , " Thomas A . Edison " s missile compartment was deactivated . Concrete blocks were placed in the missile tubes , and the missile launcher and fire - control system s as well as one of the ship ' s inertial navigation system s were removed . The ship was reclassified an attack submarine , given hull number SSN - 610 on 6 October 1980 , and retained primarily for training , antisubmarine warfare exercises , and other secondary duties . Decommissioned on 1 December 1983 , " Thomas A . Edison " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1986 . She went through the Navy ' s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , Bremerton , Washington , beginning on 1 October 1996 and on 1 December 1997 ceased to exist as the recycling was completed . Steinway piano . During the construction of " Thomas A . Edision " , the construction captain requested that a Steinway piano be placed aboard . This piano remained on board the submarine for 22 years ( 1961 – 1983 ) up through her decommissioning . The Steinway piano is the only example of a full - sized piano ever installed on a U . S . submarine conducting nuclear deterrent patrols .