The First Ship To Ever Sail To The North Pole
Nuclear power, water, and a long overdue success
Sailing ships have been around for a very long time, but until just recently, no ship had ever sailed to the North Pole. The thick ice sheets, the crushing flows, and the mercurial climate made it impossible for any ship to navigate through the ice to the pole. More than one wooden sailing vessel had been lost in the ice and destroyed (notably the HMS Terror) while trying to traverse the dangerous northern latitudes.
It might not come as a surprise to learn that the first ship to sail to the North Pole did not do so until 1977. The Soviet ship Arktika sailed through the ice to the pole in a world first in the depths of the Cold War.
In order to accomplish this feat, the Soviet Union had to build a reinforced icebreaker powered by two nuclear reactors. It was the only thing strong enough to endure the grueling journey. In fact, sailing is the last modern method used to reach the North Pole.
The Last Modern Method To Reach The North Pole
