[canuck_conservative]

Apollo 1 used a pure (100%) oxygen environment in the capsule, which was obviously a recipe for disaster. Apparently NASA thought it would give the astronauts more energy?

After the fire – which until 1986, was the only loss of life in the entire American space program – NASA changed the Apollo capsule atmosphere, mixed with nitrogen down to about 33% oxygen.

[mware]

As they mentioned in the article. That tragedy probably saved quite a few people, definitely Apollo 13.

[null and void]

Apollo 1 used a pure (100%) oxygen environment in the capsule, which was obviously a recipe for disaster. Apparently NASA thought it would give the astronauts more energy?

No nitrogen, no The Bends.

In space it would have been only a few PSI of oxygen, the same partial pressure as at sea level in air.

For this test, they simulated the stresses on the capsule by over-pressurizing in pure oxygen. *sigh*

[higgmeister]

After the fire – which until 1986, was the only loss of life in the entire American space program...

And yoiu are forgetting Elliot See and Charlie Bassett that died in a T-38 trainer crash only 500 yards from their scheduled to be Gemini capsule. Charlie Bassett had been scheduled to be second Apollo backup crew with Borman and Anders. Jim Lovell took his place.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

The very first was Air Force Captain Theodore Freeman, on Halloween day, 1964. A goose was sucked into an intake of his T-38 while landing at Ellington AFB. Lost power and planted it short of the runway.