Argonaute (S636)
Encyclopedia
Argonaute (S636) is an Aréthuse
Aréthuse class submarine
The Aréthuse class were submarines built for the French Navy in the 1950s. They were designed as hunter killer submarines for anti-submarine warfare and were referred to as Sous-marins de Chasse by the Marine Nationale. These submarines had advanced sensors and were very quiet. They were influenced...
-class submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, and the fourth ship of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
to bear the name.
Launched on 23 October 1958, she served as flagship within the Toulon submarine squadron, and spent over 2,000 days at sea and over 32,000 hours underwater. She was decommissioned on 31 July 1982.
After extensive discussions beginning in 1982, in 1989 the Argonaute was transferred from Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
via Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, then through the seven locks of the Saint-Denis Canal. Once at the quay on the Canal de l'Ourcq
Canal de l'Ourcq
The Canal de l'Ourcq is a 108.1 km long canal of the Paris Basin with 10 locks. It was built at a width of 3.2 m but was enlarged to 3.7 m , which permitted use by more pleasure boats...
, she was lifted from the water by cranes and transported by trailer to her current site.
The Argonaute opened to the public in 1991, outside the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie
Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie
The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is the biggest science museum in Europe. Located in Parc de la Villette in Paris, France, it is at the heart of the Cultural Center of Science, Technology and Industry , a center promoting science and science culture.About five million people visit the Cité...
, 30 Avenue Corentin Cariou, in the XIXe arrondissement
XIXe arrondissement
The 19th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France.Situated on the Right Bank of the River Seine, it is crossed by two canals, the Canal Saint-Denis and the Canal de l'Ourcq, which meet near the Parc de la Villette.The 19th arrondissement includes two...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The interior is open daily except Mondays and national holidays; an admission fee is charged.