Apollo program Roger B. Chaffee

apollo 1 crew, grissom, white, , chaffee

chaffee received first spaceflight assignment in january 1966, when selected first manned apollo-saturn flight, as-204. joining command pilot grissom , senior pilot white, replaced injured donn f. eisele in third-ranked pilot position. eisele required surgery dislocated shoulder, sustained aboard kc-135 weightlessness training aircraft. reassigned second apollo crew, commanded wally schirra.

the crew announcement made public on march 21, 1966. two-week flight of apollo 1 not test spacecraft systems, ground tracking , control facilities. while chaffee had monitored manufacture of gemini spacecraft, had not witnessed building of apollo spacecraft. 3 days after being selected apollo 1 crew, flew out north american aviation plant in downey, california, see it.

charred remains of apollo 1 command module, in chaffee killed along gus grissom , ed white

on january 27, 1967, grissom, white , chaffee participating in plugs-out countdown demonstration test @ cape kennedy in preparation planned february 21 launch. chaffee sitting @ right side of cabin. main role maintain communications blockhouse. momentary power surge detected @ 23:30:55 gmt, believed accompany electrical short in equipment located on lower left side of cabin, presumed ignition source fire. @ 23:31:04 gmt, voice heard declaring, [we] ve got fire in cockpit. investigative listeners believe voice chaffee s.

assigned emergency roles called grissom, in left-hand seat, open cabin pressure vent valve, after white in center seat open plug door hatch, while chaffee in right-hand seat maintain communications. grissom prevented opening valve intensity of fire, started in region , spread left right. despite this, white removed restraints , apparently tried in vain open hatch, held closed cabin pressure. increasing pressure burst inner cabin wall on right-hand side @ 23:31:19 gmt. after approximately thirty seconds of being fed cabin atmosphere of pure oxygen @ pressures of 16.7 29 psi (115 200 kpa), , fed nitrogen-buffered ambient air, primary fire decreased in intensity , started producing large amounts of smoke, killed astronauts. chaffee lost consciousness when experienced myocardial hypoxia, sent him cardiac arrest , resulted in cerebral hypoxia. died asphyxia due toxic gasses fire, burns contributing death.

failed oxygen , ethylene glycol pipes near fire s origin point continued burning intense secondary fire melted through cabin floor. time firefighters able open hatch, fire had extinguished itself. of chaffee s couch found in horizontal position, lower portion angled towards floor. helmet closed , locked, restraints undone, , hoses , electrical connections suit remained connected. farthest origin of fire, suffered least burn , suit damage.