It’s been forty-five years since Ed White, Roger Chaffee and gus Grissom were horribly incinerated on the launch pad, in a ground test. Clara Moskowitz has the story of the changes to the program that ensued as a result. And tomorrow will be the twenty-sixth anniversary of the loss of the Challenger. Where has the time gone?
[Update late morning]
More from Amy Teitel. Note that for both these young women, this is history — it happened before they were born.
Arrrrh! Every year I have to correct this. The Apollo 1 crew died from the inhalation of extremely toxic gases generated by the fire. Thier pressure suits were preventing any severe burning. If they’d been able to get clean O2 or air they could have survived long enough for the ground crew to get the hatch open.
The greater tragedy happened earlier that day with that signing of the Outer Space Treaty.