Apollo 1
June 1, 1968
Eighteen months since the fire. The spacecraft has been redesigned — new quick-opening hatch, new materials, 1,341 engineering changes. The Saturn V has been tested twice. Apollo 7 will carry men for the first time in a few months. I find myself thinking about Grissom again. I think he would…
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Apollo 1
February 15, 1967
The investigation is underway. The fire started in the pure oxygen atmosphere used in the Apollo cabin. The hatch opened inward and couldn't be opened under the internal pressure. There were flammable materials throughout the spacecraft. Reading these reports is difficult. Some of this seems like it should have been…
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Apollo 1
January 28, 1967
Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee are dead. There was a fire on the launch pad yesterday afternoon during a ground test. I heard it on the radio on the way home from work. I had to pull over. I sat in the car for a long time before…
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Apollo 1
January 15, 1967
The crew of the first Apollo mission has been named for months: Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. Their spacecraft is AS-204. They're scheduled to launch in February. I have been following Grissom since 1961 and White since his spacewalk. Chaffee is new to me. I looked him…
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