Historical Resources
The Apollo 1 Accident
Tragedy struck the Apollo program on January 27, 1967, when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States spacewalk during the Gemini program; and Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first space flight, died in this tragic accident.
The Crew
The Crew of Apollo 1
Read about the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee in Mary C. White's extended biographies of the crew.
Read their stories about The Crew of Apollo 1
Backup Crews
Walter M. Schirra, Jr.
Command pilot for second backup crew (Dec 1966–Jan 1967)
Donn F. Eisele
Senior pilot for second backup crew (Dec 1966–Jan 1967)
Walter Cunningham
Pilot for second backup crew (Dec 1966–Jan 1967)
James A. McDivitt
Command pilot for first backup crew (Apr–Dec 1966)
David R. Scott
Senior pilot for first backup crew (Jan–Dec 1966)
Russell L. Schweickart
Pilot for first backup crew (Apr–Dec 1966)
History
The Investigation
Apollo 204 Review Board Report
A seven-member board, under the direction of the NASA Langley Research Center Director, Dr. Floyd L. Thompson, conducted a comprehensive investigation to pinpoint the cause of the fire. The final report, completed in April 1967 was subsequently submitted to the NASA Administrator. The report presented the results of the investigation and made specific recommendations that led to major design and engineering modifications, and revisions to test planning, test discipline, manufacturing processes and procedures, and quality control. With these changes, the overall safety of the command and service module and the lunar module was increased substantially. The AS-204 mission was redesignated Apollo I in honor of the crew.
The Phillips Report
In late 1965, Major General Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Director at NASA Headquarters, initiated a review of NASA's contract with North American Aviation, Inc., to determine why work on both the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn V second stage was behind schedule and over budget. This highly critical study is known as the Phillips Report.
Conclusions
Effects of the Apollo 204 Accident on Schedule and Cost of the Apollo Program
The Apollo 204 accident and its investigation resulted in substantial changes in the program with resultant impacts on cost and schedules. The principle schedule changes and cost impact are given. Excerpt from "Apollo 204 Accident: Report of the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, United States Senate, Report No. 956," January 30, 1968, p. 8.
