Atomic Submarine Engine Testing Sphere Cutaway, 1952

This cutaway, drawn by Rolf Klep in 1952, is of a $2 million, 225 foot diameter steel hull built in Schenectady, NY.

Essentially, it was a spherical proving ground for an atomic engine that would be installed in a submarine.  GE scientists would have:

1. Built the engine.
2. Encased that engine in a section of submarine hull.
3. Submerged that hull section in a water tank.
4. Built this giant steel hull, with its 1,364 X-ray-checked welds, around everything to contain potential leaks.

Source: LIFE Dec 15, 1952