Edward L. Beach and the secret Sandblast plan

Edward L. Beach's mission report records the secrecy and institutional planning behind Sandblast. At a 4 February 1960 conference in Washington, senior submarine, fleet, hydrographic, atomic-defense, and undersea-warfare officials organized the proposed submerged circumnavigation. Its stated purposes included geophysical and oceanographic research, crew habitability, endurance, psychological stress, and work relevant to the Polaris program. The route also had to remain undetected by American and foreign forces. Triton's size, speed, and two-reactor dependability made a rapid, entirely submerged voyage more plausible than it would have been for other boats.