Grit

Let's start off the week with a little military history - and awe at how far we have come in such a short window of time.

Grab your mug of coffee, and relax. Also, #gonavy

Operation Sandblast - First circumnavigation of the globe by a Nuclear Submarine

Operation Sandblast was the code name for the first submerged circumnavigation of the world executed by the United States Navy nuclear-powered radar picket submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) in 1960 while under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach, USN.

The New York Times described Triton’s submerged circumnavigation of the Earth as “a triumph of human prowess and engineering skill, a feat which the United States Navy can rank as one of its bright victories in man’s ultimate conquest of the seas.”

The actual circumnavigation took place between 24 February and 25 April 1960, covering 26,723 nautical miles (49,491 km; 30,752 mi) over 60 days and 21 hours. Operation Sandblast used the St. Peter and Paul Rocks, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean near the Equator, as the starting point and terminus for the circumnavigation.

During the course of the circumnavigation, Triton crossed the Equator four times while maintaining an average speed of advance (SOA) of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Triton’s overall navigational track during Operation Sandblast generally followed the same course as the first circumnavigation of the world led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan between 1519-1522.

The initial impetus for Operation Sandblast was to enhance American technological and scientific prestige prior to the May 1960 Paris Summit between U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

Additionally, Operation Sandblast provided a high-profile public demonstration of the capability of U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarines to carry out long-range submerged operations independent of external support and undetected by hostile forces, presaging the initial deployment of the U.S Navy’s Polaris ballistic missile submarines later in 1960.

Finally, Operation Sandblast gathered extensive oceanographic, hydrographic, gravimetric, geophysical, and psychological data during Triton’s circumnavigation. Although official celebrations for Operation Sandblast were canceled following the diplomatic furor arising from the shooting down of a CIA U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union in early May 1960, the Triton did receive the Presidential Unit Citation with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe in recognition of the successful completion of its mission, and Captain Beach received the Legion of Merit for his role as Triton’s commanding officer.

In 1961, Beach received the Magellanic Premium, the United States’ oldest and most prestigious scientific award, from the American Philosophical Society in “recognition of his navigation of the U.S. submarine Triton around the globe.”

GRIT

The real mark of a winner is what you do when the chips fall against you. Do you immediately take your ball and go home - or do you get back up again and keep at it?

I recently watched a documentary about Elon Musk and SpaceX. The number of times that Elon was at the extreme brink of failure, yet kept pushing his team to do something monumental is amazing.

While the journey into space and the circumnavigation of the globe by a nuclear-powered submarine aren't likely to be in the same sentence anywhere but this one, both required the determination of organizations and teams to accomplish a singular goal.

What struck me most about SpaceX was their inverted approach toward space travel compared to NASA.

NASA would overengineer everything prior to deployment. It had to work the first time.

Space-X's approach was one of, "let's try it. Oops, didn't work. Now fix it based on lessons learned."

And what came of that is that Space-X was able to iterate much faster in the developmental cycle than NASA - and has flourished because of it.

It's foolish to compare yourself to the success of Tesla and SpaceX.

It is NOT foolish to admire the grit and determination one person has in their vision toward something greater. There is no quit in Elon.

That's quite the lesson.

Coffee!

April is coming to a close - which means that the 20% off promotion for Fire Watch is also ending. If you haven't taken advantage of it - check it out here

So - what's coming?

1. Lifeline - our new light roast blend.
2. More Merchandise! Mugs / Tumblers / and members-only gear.
3. May is military appreciation month. Keep your eye out for special promotions all month long.

Thanks as always for your continued support. Big things keep coming our way, and it's all because of you.

Follow my journey at www.aerialresupplycoffee.com.

Support Forward

Mike.