Posted on 01/27/2009 9:16:24 AM PST by Pyro7480
On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first space flight, died in this tragic accident.
A seven-member board, under the direction of the NASA Langley Research Center Director, Dr. Floyd L. Thompson, conducted a comprehensive investigation to pinpoint the cause of the fire. The final report, completed in April 1967 was subsequently submitted to the NASA Administrator. The report presented the results of the investigation and made specific recommendations that led to major design and engineering modifications, and revisions to test planning, test discipline, manufacturing processes and procedures, and quality control. With these changes, the overall safety of the command and service module and the lunar module was increased substantially. The AS-204 mission was redesignated Apollo I in honor of the crew....
The episode of “From the Earth to the Moon” about Apollo I was fascinating. Just shows what kind of visionaries (i.e. Walter Mondale) are out there who believe they can and should run this country.
I didn't know Chaffee was from Michigan.
Even a child can understand the supernatural idiocy of placing humans in a 100 percent oxygen environment where there’s electrical circuits.
I lived in Houston around a lot of NASA people who knew & worked with the astronauts...it was a bad, sad time.
RIP.
Go see the Space Museum in Jackson. It used to be well worth the trip when my kids were younger, I imagine it still is.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
