With sleek futuristic lines and shining red and white paint, NS Savannah was designed to stand out. But what really set it apart was it’s powerplant. At the heart of the ship was a 74 megawatt Pressurized Water Reactor, making Savannah the world’s first nuclear powered merchant ship. Launched in the summer of 1959, Savannah was built to prove that nuclear energy could safely power civilian ships of the future, promising to make cargo and cruise ships more economical, reliable and faster. It would also allow them to travel for years before needing to refuel, offering increased flexibility and operating time. As the first of its kind, Savannah carried both passengers and cargo to demonstrate the safety and reliability of nuclear propulsion for all kinds of civilian uses. When it came to engineering, Savannah was an undeniable engineering success as it outperformed even it’s designers expectations when it came to speed and reliability. Savannah also helped inspire other countries to buil