13 Minutes to the Moon

Ep.04 Fire to the Phoenix

Jun 2, 2019

Walt Cunningham

Former NASA astronauts, flight directors, and engineers discuss the Apollo program, focusing on the tragic fire of Apollo 1 and the successful test mission of Apollo 7. They delve into the challenges faced, lack of leadership, and the emotional impact of the fire. The chapter also explores the vital role of the Apollo guidance computer in the moon landing.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Chaos at North American

In 1964, George Abbey discovered chaos at North American, the company building Apollo's command module.
The nominal leader didn't understand the design, and NASA hadn't checked in for months.

INSIGHT

Early Apollo Challenges

NASA's focus on Mercury and Gemini left Apollo with inexperienced staff.
North American's engineering groups lacked coordination, causing design inconsistencies.

ANECDOTE

Pre-Fire Concerns

During a test, Walt Cunningham's crew noted issues with the Apollo 1 spacecraft, like unprotected wiring.
Wally Schirra, concerned, told Gus Grissom to scrub the next test if any issues arose.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode