What went wrong with Apollo 1?

During a preflight test Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo 1 mission when a fire inside the space capsule caused the death of the three astronauts slated to travel to the moon. The space race was heating up and NASA had already achieved human spaceflight in the Gemini and Mercury missions.

Why did Apollo 1 have pure oxygen?

The space agency countered that the risks of a fire in the crew cabin was minimal because it was a low-pressure environment. The spacecraft would be pressurized to just 5 pounds per square inch with pure oxygen. At such a low density, a fire wouldn’t explode, it could be managed by a fast-acting crew.

Did Apollo 1 capsule have a fire extinguishing system?

Apollo, like Mercury and Gemini, had no specific fire fighting system on board. The 5psi of oxygen in space was considered too thin to feed a significant fire. With so many engineers on hand for every test, it was assumed that the astronauts would safe so long as fire extinguishers were nearby.

What was the single most important factor in the Apollo 1 fire?

For the fire on Apollo 1, the most significant problem was the human tragedy: three astronauts were killed. Their deaths impacted the safety goal.

What was the audio of the Apollo 1 fire?

This is the audio leading up to and including the fire. Apollo 1 is a vital part of the history of manned spaceflight. The deaths of Grissom, White and Chaffee should never be forgotten. The Challenger and Columbia disasters are probably more well known due to the news coverage they received.

Who was killed in the Apollo 1 fire?

Apollo 1 Crew Outdoors. On Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1’s crew—Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee—was killed when a fire erupted in their capsule during testing. Here, the trio post at their Florida launch pad during training.

Who was the flight director of Apollo 1?

Nasa flight director Chris Kraft was listening in when the fire broke out, and recalled the chilling moment in graphic detail in a recent interview. “I heard their screaming voices in the cockpit of the spacecraft,” Kraft told Ars Technica. “I heard them scream that they were on fire.

What was the cause of the Apollo 1 tragedy?

Apollo 1 Tragedy At a press conference the day after the January 27, 1967, Apollo 1 accident, a NASA spokesperson explains the cause of the flash fire that broke out inside the cabin of the spacecraft during a launch pad test. The vehicle was being prepared for the first piloted space flight.