The Mission of AS-204 (Apollo 1)

A look at what could have been- and what may have happened if it didn't happen.

This is from the 1998 PBS Nova episode, "To The Moon."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Space
• Apollo
• Grisson
• White
• Chaffee
• NASA
• 1967
• Moon

[apollo204]

The spacecraft should be turned into a memorial

for the crew and placed at Pad 34. These men are hero's too me and Like the Battleship Arizona everyone should see what happened and how we pick up the pieces and landed on the moon. Gods speed to the crew of Apollo 1!!!

[theiselme]

i think gus grissom would have been the first man on the moon had he lived,

the cause of the fire was too much pure oxygene (15 psi pressure) and faulty wireing, gus had expirenced door failure before on a mission ,so they changed it for the test, ironically it cost him his life rest in peace gus ed and roger

[vitoduval]

@mlovmo Chaffee's daughter worked at KSC during the shuttle program

[mlovmo]

After they died, Chaffee's wife didn't have enough money to even bring his body to Arlington and to bury him. Pres. Johnson took care of that, but that was about it: She only got a measly pay-out from the Air Force's life insurance, and her and her sons lived in poverty afterwards. She tried to paid the bills by doing speaking engagements, promoting the space program. It reminds you that these people, for all their fame as astronauts, actually weren't treated any better than the rest of us.

[papanewgunny]

@plotchickens And who was 4th person? Chaffe, Grissom, White and??? Or are you being a little dim!

[1MtnBoy]

not true at all. I have photographs of them and all 3 pressure suits were mostly charred remnants, incomplete and very badly burned up especially their legs and arms. burned black.

rest in peace gents ! you are missed even today !

PS and as for Foxraptor22's caustic comments ? I never saw his name on the list of contributing engineers, criticizing people and procedures you know little of does nothing to improve the illusion of your intelligence. you are unqualified to make any such comments.

[MrDksmith0617]

The crew was asphyxiated. Most eyewitness accounts state that the crew's suits were still white.

[thevmanvj]

"From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words..."Tough and Competent". "Tough" means we will never compromise our responsibilities, because we are forever accountable for what we do, or what we fail to do. When we walk into Mission Control, we know what we stand for. "Competent " means we will never take anything for granted we will never be found short in our knowledge, and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect..."

-Gene Kranz- 1-30-67( part of "The Kranz Dictum")

[TheFOXRAPTOR22]

gus and Chaffee would be undoubtedly the first men on the moon

[TheFOXRAPTOR22]

My curiosity has always been whether these heroes died asphyxiated or burned. just pray to god that did not suffer.

[plotchickens]

it should of been mans first step towards the moon landings,

but instead those 4 brave men were turned into a sunday roast on the launch pad xD

a fucking tragedy ... lol