In 1967, a preflight test for the first crewed flight of Apollo resulted in a tragedy and the loss of astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee

In 1967, a preflight test for the first crewed flight of Apollo on the launch pad at Cape Kennedy resulted in a tragedy and loss of astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee. The incident happened on January 27 during a preflight test of Apollo 204, also known as AS-204. The mission was planned as the first crewed flight of the Apollo program. It was scheduled to launch on February 21, 1967. During the test, a fire swept through the command module and killed all three astronauts inside. The incident became known as the Apollo 1 tragedy and led NASA to investigate the spacecraft and make changes before crewed flights resumed.

What happened during the Apollo 1 test?

The Apollo 1 tragedy occurred on January 27, 1967, at Launch Complex 34 at Cape Kennedy. The spacecraft was undergoing a preflight test before its planned launch. The mission was identified as Apollo 204, or AS-204. The spacecraft was designated Spacecraft-012 and the command and service module was identified as CSM-012. The launch vehicle was a Saturn IB designated AS-204.


The three astronauts assigned to the mission were Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee. The test was being conducted on the launch pad rather than during an actual launch. A fire started inside the command module, or CM. The fire spread through the spacecraft and the three astronauts lost their lives. The emergency transmission was recorded at 6:31:05 p.m. EST on January 27, 1967.

Apollo 1 mission details

The mission was classified as a human space flight. Its planned launch date was February 21, 1967.

Key details include:

• Mission: Apollo 204, AS-204
• Mission type: Human Space Flight
• Planned launch: February 21, 1967
• Test date: January 27, 1967
• Location: Launch Complex 34, Cape Kennedy
• Launch vehicle: Saturn IB AS-204
• Spacecraft: Spacecraft-012
• Command and service module: CSM-012
• Crew: Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee
• Emergency transmission: 6:31:05 p.m. EST

The astronauts who died

Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee were selected for the first crewed Apollo mission. Grissom had already flown in the Mercury and Gemini programs. White had flown during the Gemini program and had performed a spacewalk. Chaffee was preparing for his first spaceflight.

The three astronauts were inside the Apollo command module during the test when the fire began. Their deaths stopped the planned crewed Apollo launch schedule. NASA began a detailed investigation into the accident and the spacecraft systems involved.

How the Apollo 1 tragedy changed the Apollo program?

The investigation into the fire was followed by extensive reworking of the Apollo command modules. NASA officials did not allow crewed Apollo launches to continue until the spacecraft had been cleared for flight. The Saturn IB schedule was suspended for nearly a year. The changes affected the order and names of later Apollo missions.

The launch vehicle that eventually received the AS-204 designation carried a lunar module, or LM, instead of a command module, or CM. This flight later became known as Apollo 5. The earlier Apollo spacecraft flights also had names that created confusion about the numbering of the missions.

Why some early Apollo flights had different names?

Before the Apollo 1 designation was formally assigned, the missions AS-201 and AS-202, which carried Apollo spacecraft, had been unofficially known as Apollo 1 and Apollo 2. AS-203 carried only an aerodynamic nose cone.

In the spring of 1967, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller announced that the mission originally assigned to Grissom, White and Chaffee would officially be known as Apollo 1. Mueller also announced that the first Saturn V launch, which was scheduled for November 1967, would be called Apollo 4.

The eventual launch of AS-204 became known as Apollo 5. No missions or flights were ever designated Apollo 2 or Apollo 3. This numbering reflected the changes made to the Apollo flight schedule after the Apollo 1 fire.

What happened to Apollo 5?

Apollo 5 was the eventual flight of AS-204. Unlike the mission originally planned for Grissom, White and Chaffee, it carried a lunar module instead of a command module. The change was part of the revised Apollo testing program after the investigation and reworking of the spacecraft. The Apollo program therefore continued with a different sequence of missions and spacecraft tests.

Apollo 6 and the Saturn V

The second launch of a Saturn V took place in the early morning of April 4, 1968. The mission was designated AS-502 and was known as Apollo 6. Apollo 6 was a successful flight, although it experienced problems during the mission. Two first-stage engines shut down before their planned operation was complete. The third-stage engine also failed to reignite after the vehicle reached orbit.

Despite these problems, the flight provided NASA with information about the Saturn V and its performance. The Apollo 6 mission was part of the testing that preceded later crewed Apollo flights.

The backup crew

NASA had also assigned a backup crew for the Apollo 1 mission.

The backup astronauts were:

• Walter M. Schirra Jr.
• Donn F. Eisele
• Walter Cunningham

Backup crews were part of NASA's mission planning and training process. They prepared alongside the primary crew and could be assigned to a mission if circumstances required a crew change.

Why the Apollo 1 fire remains part of Apollo history?

The Apollo 1 fire happened before the first crewed Apollo flight could leave Earth. The mission was still in its testing stage when the accident occurred. The deaths of Grissom, White and Chaffee forced NASA to stop and review the Apollo command module. The investigation resulted in changes to the spacecraft and contributed to the delay of crewed Apollo missions.

The Apollo 1 tragedy also changed the sequence of Apollo missions. AS-204, which had been intended to carry the first Apollo crew, later became Apollo 5 and carried a lunar module. NASA assigned the Apollo 1 name to the mission originally planned for the three astronauts.

The first Saturn V flight was named Apollo 4, while no flights received the names Apollo 2 or Apollo 3. The April 4, 1968, Apollo 6 mission then tested the Saturn V for another flight. Its engine problems were recorded as part of the information NASA used while developing the program.

The Apollo 1 fire therefore became a key event in the development of the Apollo spacecraft and the human space flight program. The tragedy took place during a ground test, but its impact extended to spacecraft design, testing, mission planning and the schedule of later Apollo flights.