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Moonwalkers and dozens of others who took part in NASA's storied Apollo program paid tribute Thursday to the three astronauts killed in a fire 50 years ago. On the eve of the Apollo 1 anniversary, hundreds gathered at Kennedy Space Center to honor Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. They died during a countdown rehearsal at the launch pad, inside their burning spacecraft, on Jan. 27, 1967 On Friday, NASA is opening an Apollo 1 exhibit featuring the hatch that prevented the three astronauts from escaping. It has been concealed for the past half-century along with the capsule. The...

Three astronauts were killed in the blaze in Cape Canaveral on January 27, 1967  Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were trapped in their burning craft  A small spark created a blaze that burned hotter than 1,000°F (537°C)

On the 45-anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire, a tribute to astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee from my favorite documentary about getting to the Moon.

Dedicated to the heroes of Apollo 1 who died on January 27, 1967. This video was made 44 years after that day on 1/27/2011.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – As families of the lost Challenger astronauts gather with NASA to mark the space shuttle accident's 30th anniversary, there's a new voice to address the crowd. June Scobee Rodgers -- widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee and longtime spokeswoman for the group -- is passing the torch to daughter Kathie Scobee Fulgham. [....] The event will honor the Columbia Seven as well, along with the three Apollo 1 astronauts killed during a launch pad test on Jan. 27, 1967. NASA also plans observances at Arlington National cemetery, Johnson Space Center in Houston and elsewhere.

Sometime very early in the Columbia accident investigation, Admiral Hal Gehman, the chairman of the investigation board, reportedly held up a copy of the Challenger accident investigation report. It was one of the first things he read after being named to lead the investigation. “This is not the kind of report we are going to write,” he told the staff. Late in the investigation I had a conversation with an Air Force officer who was working on the crew mortality part of the investigation. The officer told me how the small group working on that issue had taken a completely...

The last Thursday in January was designated as NASA's "Day of Remembrance" for fallen astronauts of the APOLLO 1, Challenger and Coumbia crews. Historical information is at the link: http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor/index_noaccess.html

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- Gus Grissom's 75-year-old widow and eldest son retrieved the fallen astronaut's personal effects Wednesday from the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Among the boxed items was the Stetson hat President Lyndon Johnson gave Grissom, the astronaut's logbook and the folded American flag from his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. But the artifact his widow and son wanted most -- Grissom's Mercury 7 spacesuit -- was still sealed in a glass case at the Titusville, Fla., museum when the pair headed home to Houston. Although the Grissoms had the suit for nearly 30 years before loaning it to the...

THE FIRE "During a simulated countdown for mission AS-204 on January 27, 1967, an accident occurred in CM 012. This was a manned test with the prime astronaut crew on board. A fire occurred inside the command module resulting in the death of the three astronauts and as yet undetermined damage to the command and service modules." With these words, the nation's space program was split into two classifications: Pre-Fire and Post-Fire. 27 January 1967 The spacecraft, towering over 210 feet into the sky, sat on the launch pad at Launch Complex 34 on the Cape Canaveral Air Station. At...

This week marks the thirty-eighth anniversary of the launch pad fire of Apollo 1, which took the lives of Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee. In a grim irony, this same week also marks the nineteenth anniversary of the Challenger disaster, as well as the second anniversary of the loss of the space shuttle Columbia. Though memorials are certainly in order, a closer examination of the nature and cause of each catastrophe reveals much about the nation throughout the past four decades. Particularly in the wake of the Columbia tragedy and its ensuing investigations, disturbing trends in NASA...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... . U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. . . Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family...

NASA memorialized the Apollo 1 crew -- Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee -- by dedicating the hills surrounding the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site to the astronauts. The crew of Apollo 1 perished in flash fire during a launch pad test of their Apollo spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., 37 years ago today. "Through recorded history explorers have had both the honor and responsibility of naming significant landmarks," said NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. "Gus, Ed and Roger's contributions, as much as their sacrifice, helped make our giant leap for mankind possible. Today, as America strides towards...