Everything Everywhere Daily The Apollo 1 Disaster
Nov 27, 2025
The podcast delves into the tragic Apollo 1 disaster, revealing how a seemingly normal training exercise turned deadly. It examines the backgrounds of the crew, highlighting their qualifications and concerns before the incident. The discussion covers the catastrophic fire caused by an electrical spark in a high-pressure oxygen environment. Listeners learn about the extensive investigation that led to major design changes in the Apollo program, improving safety protocols and reshaping NASA's culture. The legacy of the astronauts and the impact on future missions are also explored.
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Crew Background And Concerns
- Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee formed the high-profile crew for AS-204, which they called Apollo 1.
- The crew had been deeply involved in building and testing the command module and raised safety concerns about its flammable interior materials.
Crew Protest Over Flammable Materials
- The astronauts repeatedly complained about flammable materials like nylon netting and Velcro inside the command module.
- Grissom famously called the spacecraft a 'lemon' by hanging a lemon on it to show his displeasure.
Plugs-Out Test Turned Fatal
- During a plugs-out test on January 27, 1967, the capsule was filled with pure oxygen at higher-than-atmospheric pressure.
- At 6:31 p.m. a fire erupted, and radio calls of 'fire' lasted only five seconds before communications ceased.