The USS Independence (CVL-22) was obliterated by nuclear weapons testing back in 1951. But new sonar images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that 64 years later, the underwater ship is still "remarkably intact." There may even be aircraft still on board the carrier.
After the military used the Independence for target practice at Bikini Atoll, way out in the Pacific Ocean, the Navy towed the ship to San Francisco for decontamination and then sunk it to the bottom of the sea near the Farallon Islands in northern California.
Most damage was concentrated in the hangar bay of the ship. But for 64 years under the sea, it's still looking pretty good.
Source: NBC News
John Wenz
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John Wenz is a Popular Mechanics writer and space obsessive based in Philadelphia. He tweets @johnwenz.
