Astronaut Profile
Roger B. Chaffee
Pilot
Roger Chaffee never reached space. He died alongside Gus Grissom and Ed White in the Apollo 1 fire during a routine launch pad test, a tragedy that reshaped how NASA built every spacecraft that followed.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Pilot • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
Roger B. Chaffee was a United States Navy pilot selected by NASA in 1963 who was training for his first spaceflight as Pilot of Apollo 1, the program's planned first crewed mission. On January 27, 1967, a flash fire swept through the Command Module during a launch pad test, killing Chaffee along with Command Pilot Gus Grissom and Senior Pilot Ed White. The tragedy led to a sweeping redesign of the Apollo spacecraft's materials, wiring, and hatch systems, changes widely credited with making every subsequent Apollo mission possible.
Astronaut Details
Born
February 15, 1935
Died
January 27, 1967
Birthplace
Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Role
Pilot
Program
Apollo
Time in Space
None (died during a pre-launch test)
Missions
Apollo 1
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal (posthumous)