Nearly thirty nuclear powered ships have sailed the world's oceans - many still do.
Click here to learn more.
 NS Savannah
Nuclear Powered Ships of the World
Atomic Cinema
SL-1
Reactor Accident DVD
NS Savannah Commissioning Book
NS Otto Hahn in 1979 before it was decommissioned and its reactor removed.
The nuclear ore carrier NS Otto Hahn at sea.
Reactor control room aboard the NS Otto Hahn
NS Otto Hahn ship schematic.
Germany's nuclear ship NS Otto hahn at sea.
NS Otto Hahn in Rio de Janeiro
NS Otto Hahn sailing near Ciudad del Cabo
The NS Otto Hahn's reactor is removed during decommissioning.
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The German-built NS Otto
Hahn is one of only four nuclear
powered cargo vessels ever built (the others are the NS
Savannah, the Russian container ship Sevmorput, and the Japanese NS Mutsu). Configured
to carry passengers and ore, the NS Otto Hahn was powered by a single 38
MW reactor which first achieved criticality in 1968. The Otto Hahn
made its first port call in Casablanca in 1970 and continued to operate
under nuclear power until 1979. In nine years, the Otto Hahn steamed
650,000 nautical miles and visited 33 ports in 22 countries.
The NS Otto Hahn was deactivated
in 1979 and between 1979 and 1982, her nuclear propulsion equipment was
removed and replaced with standard marine diesels. In 1983, the NS
Otto Hahn was recomissioned as the contained ship MS Trophy and leased
into commercial marine service. The ship was subsequently renamed
MS Norasia Susan (1983), MS Norasia Helga (1985), MS Hua Kang He (1989), MS Anais (1998),
and MS Madre (1999).
NS Otto Hahn History
| 1960 |
Planning begins for a German-built,
trade and research vessel to test the feasibility of nuclear power in civil
service. |
| 1963 |
Keel is laid for the NS
Otto Hahn |
| 1964 |
NS Otto Hahn is launched
by its namesake, Dr. Otto Hahn |
| 1968 |
NS Otto Hahn's reactor first
reaches criticality. |
| 1968 |
October - sea trails begin
and NS Otto Hahn is certified for commercial freight transport and research. |
| 1970 |
NS Otto Hahn makes first
port of call in Casablanca |
| 1972 |
First reactor refueling
for NS Otto Hahn. First reactor core operated for 4 years, traveling
approximately 250,000 nautical miles while consuming 22 kilograms of Uranium
235. |
| 1979 |
NS Otto Hahn deactivated.
In nine years, the Otto Hahn traveled 650,000 nautical miles, visiting
33 ports in 22 countries. |
| 1979-1982 |
Removal and disposal of
NS Otto Hahn reactor core and propulsion equipment. |
| 1982 |
NS Otto Hahn converted from
ore carrier to container ship with marine diesel drive. |
| 1983 |
NS Otto Hahn renamed MS
Trophy. Sea trials with new diesel propulsion units begin. |
| 1983 |
Chartered service as MS
Norasia Susan |
| 1985 |
Chartered service as MS
Norasia Helga |
| 1989 |
Chartered services as MS
Hua Kang He working for a shipping company head quartered in Shanghai. |
Unknown
date |
Chartered Services
as MS Madre |
NS Otto Hahn Technical
Specifications
| Overall length |
172.05 meters |
| Width |
23.40 meters |
| Freeboard |
5.33 meters |
| Displacement |
25,790 tons |
| Load carrying capacity |
14,040 tons |
| Waterproof compartments |
14 |
| Loading spaces |
6 |
| Crew |
63 |
| Research personnel |
35 max |
| Top speed |
17 knots |
| Reactor |
38 MW |
| Reactor volume |
35 m³ |
| Design pressure/temperature |
85 kp/cm² - 300°C |
| Builders |
German & Babcock Wilcox
Dampfkesselwerke AG and INTERCAtom |
Dr.
Otto Hahn (1879-1968) In 1938, Otto Hahn repeated
Fermi's experiments of bombarding uranium with neutrons. Hahn and
co-worker Fritz Strassmann discovered three isotopes of barium had been
produced. This was incredible because the mass of barium is about
half of uranium and no known reaction could explain such a huge change.
Hahn, a chemist, could not offer an explanation. He wrote to Lise
Meitner, his longtime collaborator, describing his findings and asking
"Perhaps you can suggest some fantastic explanation," which she explained
as nuclear fission. Nevertheless, despite the contributions of Strassmann
and Meitner, it was Hahn who was awarded the 1945 Nobel Prize in chemistry
for the discovery. Unfortunately, Hahn was not at the awards ceremony
to receive his prize. At the time he learned of the award, he was being
held by the British who were seeking information from him about the failed
German effort to develop an atomic bomb. As the chairman of the Nobel Committee
for Chemistry reported "Professor Hahn has informed us that he is regrettably
unable to attend this ceremony."
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