Apollo
Apollo 1
Apollo 1 was intended to become the first crewed flight of NASA's Apollo spacecraft. The mission never launched. During a launch rehearsal on January 27, 1967, a cabin fire claimed the lives of astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee. The tragedy forced NASA to confront serious spacecraft, testing, and safety failures before continuing toward the Moon.
Launch
February 21, 1967
Duration
Mission never launched
Crew
Uncrewed
Mission record
Apollo archive entry · Ground Test Accident
Mission Overview
The mission
Apollo 1 was intended to become the first crewed flight of NASA's Apollo spacecraft. The mission never launched. During a launch rehearsal on January 27, 1967, a cabin fire claimed the lives of astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee. The tragedy forced NASA to confront serious spacecraft, testing, and safety failures before continuing toward the Moon.
Mission Details
Program
Apollo
Launch
February 21, 1967
Duration
Mission never launched
Status
Ground Test Accident
Mission by the Numbers
Mission Statistics
Mission Type
Planned Crewed Earth-Orbit Test
Launch Vehicle
Saturn IB AS-204
Crew
0 astronauts
Status
Ground Test Accident
Mission Goals
Mission objectives
- 01
Complete the first crewed flight of the Apollo Command and Service Module.
- 02
Evaluate the Block I Apollo spacecraft during an extended mission in Earth orbit.
- 03
Test the spacecraft's environmental-control and life-support systems with a crew aboard.
- 04
Demonstrate the performance of the Service Propulsion System during repeated engine firings.
- 05
Evaluate guidance, navigation, communications, electrical, and propulsion systems.
- 06
Confirm compatibility between the spacecraft, Saturn IB launch vehicle, crew, mission-control teams, and ground-support network.
- 07
Develop operational experience for increasingly complex Apollo missions.
- 08
Support NASA's progression toward crewed lunar-orbit and lunar-landing missions.
Mission Timeline
March 21, 1966
Prime Crew Announced
NASA announced Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee as the prime crew for the first crewed Apollo mission.
August 26, 1966
Spacecraft Arrives in Florida
Command and Service Module 012 arrived at Kennedy Space Center for testing, integration, and launch preparations.
November 1966
Backup Crew Reassigned
Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham became the mission's backup crew following changes to NASA's Apollo schedule.
January 23, 1967
Launch Date Confirmed
NASA publicly confirmed that AS-204 was scheduled to launch on February 21, 1967.
January 25, 1967
Plugs-In Test
The backup crew participated in a spacecraft test that used external ground power and encountered several technical problems.
January 27, 1967
Crew Enters the Spacecraft
Grissom, White, and Chaffee entered Command Module 012 at Launch Complex 34 for the plugs-out countdown rehearsal.
January 27, 1967
Cabin Sealed
The spacecraft's three-part hatch system was closed, and the cabin was pressurized with a pure-oxygen atmosphere.
January 27, 1967
Communications Problems Delay Test
Repeated communication failures and equipment issues prevented the simulated countdown from progressing normally.
January 27, 1967 · 6:31 p.m. EST
Fire Reported
The crew reported a fire inside the spacecraft. Flames spread rapidly through materials in the oxygen-rich cabin.
January 27, 1967
Escape Attempt
The astronauts attempted to open the inner hatch, but rising cabin pressure and the inward-opening design prevented escape.
January 27, 1967
Crew Lost
Launch-pad personnel opened the spacecraft after fighting through intense heat and dense smoke, but all three astronauts had died.
January 28, 1967
Investigation Begins
NASA began examining the accident and soon formed the Apollo 204 Review Board.
April 1967
Review Board Report Completed
The investigation identified major spacecraft, testing, manufacturing, quality-control, and emergency-response deficiencies.
Spring 1967
Mission Named Apollo 1
NASA officially assigned the name Apollo 1 to the mission in honor of Grissom, White, and Chaffee.
1967–1968
Apollo Spacecraft Redesigned
NASA and its contractors redesigned critical spacecraft systems and adopted a new outward-opening unified hatch.
October 11, 1968
Crewed Apollo Flights Resume
Apollo 7 launched aboard a Saturn IB and successfully tested the redesigned Block II Command and Service Module in Earth orbit.
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