Triton's sealed-ship test was intended to establish procedures and limiting factors for a new nuclear submarine. It continued Medical Research Laboratory work that included Operation Hideout aboard Haddock in 1953 and Seawolf's longer sealed period in 1958. Triton's proposed test would last about two weeks, partly because a longer period would consume more expensive oxygen. Selected volunteers would undergo physical and psychological checks, with an extended smoking restriction around the midpoint and several further days of observation. Heavy smokers were already uneasy before the restriction began, prompting Beach to remark that the psychological reaction had started.
Notable Point · 3:01:30-3:03:10
Planning a sealed-atmosphere test with a smoking restriction
A proposed two-week sealed-ship experiment combined physical and psychological measurements with a smoking restriction, and heavy smokers reacted before the test began.