 | Astronauts (left to right) Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, pose in front of Launch Complex 34 which is housing their Saturn 1 launch vehicle. The astronauts later died in a fire on the pad. |
 | Emblem of NASA's first manned Apollo space flight, Apollo/Saturn Mission 204. Picture denotes Apollo spacecraft in earth orbit. |
 | Portrait of the Apollo 1 prime crew for first manned Apollo space flight. From left to right are: Edward H. White II, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and Roger B. Chaffee. On January 27, 1967 at 5:31 p.m. CST (6:31 local time) during a routine simulated launch test onboard the Apollo Saturn V Moon rocket, an electrical short circuit inside the Apollo Command Module ignited the pure oxygen environment and within a matter of seconds all three Apollo 1 crewmembers perished. |
 | Apollo 204 investigation |
 | Officially designated Apollo/Saturn 204, but more commonly known as Apollo 1, this close-up view of the interior of the Command Module shows the effects of the intense heat of the flash fire which killed the prime crew during a routine training exercise. While strapped into their seats inside the Command Module atop the giant Saturn V Moon rocket, a faulty electrical switch created a spark which ignited the pure oxygen environment. The speed and intensity of the fire quickly exhausted the oxygen supply inside the crew cabin. Unable to deploy the hatch due to its cumbersome design and lack of breathable oxygen, the crew lost consciousness and perished. They were: astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, (the second American to fly into space) Edward H. White II, (the first American to "walk" in space) and Roger B. Chaffee, (a "rookie" on his first space mission). |
 | Apollo 204 investigation of Apollo 204 hardware, capsule interior. |
 | The prime crew of the first manned Apollo space flight, Apollo/Saturn Mission 204, is suited up aboard the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever in preparation for Apolllo water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico. Left to right, are Astronauts Edward H. White II, senior pilot; Virgil I. Grissom, command pilot; and Roger B. Chaffee, pilot. |
 | Closeup view of the exterior of Apollo 012 Command Module at Pad 34 showing the effects of the intense heat of the flash fire which killed the prime crew of the Apollo/Saturn 204 mission. Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee lost their lives in the accidental fire. |
 | Prime Crew for first manned Apollo Mission (204) prepare to enter their spacecraft inside the altitude chamber at the Kennedy Space Center. Entering the hatch is Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom. Behind him is Astronaut Roger B. Chaffee. Standing at left with chamber technicians is Astronaut Edward H. White II. |
 | Dr. Robert R. Gilruth (far right) introduces the Apollo 1 crew during a press conference in Houston. From the left are astronauts Roger Chaffee, Edward H. White II and Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom. |
All images © NASA (Unless Otherwise Noted). Used by permission.
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