Remembering the day three brave souls lost their lives.
They knew the risks. They accepted the risks of flight.
All three were test pilots: Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee. Grissom and White were veterans of spaceflight. Chaffee was the rookie, preparing for his first mission.
The crew was participating in what was thought to be a routine dress rehearsal for launch. It was considered safe—the rocket would not leave the launch pad that day. The Saturn IB was unfueled. What could possibly go wrong?
Inside the capsule, however, conditions mirrored those of launch day. The spacecraft was pressurized with 100 percent oxygen.
Something happened. A spark. A fire.
In seconds, three lives were lost.
January 27, 1967.
Ad Astra — Apollo 1 crew.
“If we die, we want people to accept it. We’re in a risky business…”
— Gus Grissom, Apollo 1 Commander