A spark ignited the pure-oxygen atmosphere inside the Apollo 1 command module du

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Apollo 1 Fire: Three Astronauts Die in Tragic Test

A spark ignited the pure-oxygen atmosphere inside the Apollo 1 command module during a routine plugs-out test on January 27, 1967, and the cabin was engulfed in flames within seconds. Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee could not open the inward-opening hatch against the internal pressure. They were dead within thirty seconds. The investigation revealed that NASA had allowed flammable Velcro, nylon netting, and exposed wiring throughout the cabin, and that the pure-oxygen environment at 16.7 psi made everything combustible. Grissom had previously expressed concerns about fire safety, reportedly hanging a lemon on the simulator. The tragedy forced NASA to redesign the hatch to open outward, replace flammable materials with fire-resistant alternatives, and switch to a mixed nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere at launch. These changes, born from the deaths of three men, ultimately made Apollo missions safer.

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January 27, 1967

59 years ago

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Apollo 1 Fire: Three Astronauts Die in Tragic Test

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