Apollo 1 - NASA's First Tragedy

On this date in 1967, the crew of Apollo/Saturn 204 (more commonly known as Apollo 1 mission) were training for the first crewed Apollo flight, an Earth orbiting mission scheduled to be launched on 21 February. On board were astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, (the second American astronaut to fly into space) astronaut Edward H. White II, (the first American astronaut to "walk" in space) and astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, (a "rookie" astronaut on his first space mission). A fire broke out during the test and spread quickly through the cabin. The crew most likely perished within the first 30 seconds from smoke inhalation or burns. Resuscitation efforts were futile.

• Read more about Apollo 1.
  
• Learn what else happened on This Date in Astronomy & Space.
  
• Discover the History of NASA.
  
• Forum Post of the Day:
  
  Subject: Older rocket launches / crash footage
  "I am trying to search out sites where I might find clips of the older NACA and NASA early experimental rocket launches where they had blowups and failures etc. Movie clips and sound bites, also of things and notable events in NASA history. Putting a bunch of stuff together and am having trouble finding these old films and sound events. Do you know of any sites where these types of footage and clips might be found? Thanks!"
  GWKIT
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