What Was Apollo One?
Apollo 1 is the official name of Apollo-Saturn 204 (AS-204). During a routine test on January 27, 1967, a fire broke out in the command module. Jill Gleason, senior driver Edward White and driver Roger Chaffee were killed.
Apollo 1
- Apollo 1 is the official name of Apollo-Saturn 204 (AS-204). During a routine test on January 27, 1967, a fire broke out in the command module.
- Originally planned for the first batch of Block I Apollo manned missions to orbit Earth, launched by the Saturn IB carrier rocket. Since the opportunity to launch in the late 1966 season was long missed, it was launched in the first quarter of 1967. The mission was to test "launch operations, ground tracking and control facilities, and performance of Apollo-Saturn". The mission was originally planned for up to 2 weeks. On January 27, 1967, the day was not a planned launch, but a simulated launch to test whether the Apollo spacecraft could maintain normal operation based on its internal power supply alone without any wires ( " Plugs-out " Test ). If the spacecraft passes this test and subsequent tests, it means that the spacecraft is ready for flight on February 21, 1967.
- If the Apollo 1 mission is successful, there will be 2 Apollo missions immediately following, respectively planned for the summer of 1967 and the end of autumn. The first of these was the second Block II Apollo Command / Service Module launched by the Saturn IB carrier rocket and the unmanned lunar module launched by another Saturn IB. Docking in low earth orbit. The other time was the simultaneous launch of the command / service module and the lunar module by the Saturn 5 carrier rocket to high earth orbit. However, the two missions were cancelled after the Apollo 1 fire.
- when
- The Apollo 1 command module was designed for the "Block I" and was built for space flight, but because it lacked the necessary joining equipment, it did not
- In the center of the badge is a command / service cabin flying over the southeastern United States, highlighting the planned launch point
- When the launch center 34 was dismantled, its reinforced concrete launch platform remained, and the platform was inlaid with two nameplates commemorating three astronauts.
- One of the Apollo 1 nameplates at launch center 34
- LAUNCH COMPLEX 34
- Friday, 27 January 1967
- 1831 Hours
- Dedicated to the living memory of the crew of the Apollo 1:
- USAF Lt. Colonel Virgil I. Grissom
- USAF Lt. Colonel Edward H. White, II
- USN Lt. Commander Roger B. Chaffee
- They gave their lives in service to their country in the ongoing exploration of humankind's final frontier. Remember them not for how they died but for those ideals for which they lived.
- Chinese translation:
- Launch Center 34
- Friday, January 27, 1967
- 1831 hours
- Dedication to Apollo 1:
- U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Virgil Ivan Gleason
- U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Edward Higgins White II
- US Navy Major Roger Bruce Chaffey
- They dedicate their lives to the nation for the exploration of the ultimate new realm of humanity.
- Not remembering them for their death, but for the ideals they pursue in their lives.
- Another engraved:
- IN MEMORY
- OF
- THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
- SO OTHERS COULD REACH FOR THE STARS
- AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
- (A ROUGH ROAD LEADS TO THE STARS)
- GOD SPEED TO THE CREW
- OF
- APOLLO 1
- Chinese translation:
- commemorate
- Those who made the last sacrifice
- So they allow others to reach the stars in the sky
- AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
- (A rugged road to the stars)
- May God bless the members of Apollo 1
- This nameplate appeared in the movie Armageddon.
- In addition to the two nameplates mentioned above, one of the astronaut's college classmates made three benches out of granite, one for each team member. These benches were relocated in January 2005.
- Every year, the families of Apollo 1 members are invited to the above sites for commemorative activities. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center will also provide services for those who choose to visit the old launch center at Cape Canaveral to visit the launch platform 34.
- The three planets, Navi, Dnoces and Regor are named in honor of Apollo 1. The planet names are "Ivan", "Second", and "Roger" in reverse. Ivan is the middle name of Virgil Ivan Grissom, and White is Edward Higgins White the Second, hence the name "Second". Chaffee's English name is Roger Bruce Chaffee, hence the name "Regor". Team members used the stars to calibrate their instruments, and the names were recorded in official documents in the US space, and these names became their honor after death.
- In addition, some craters on the moon's surface and those on Mars are named after three astronauts.
- An episode of HBO's series From Earth to Moon tells the tragedy of Apollo 1 and beyond. Among them is Mark Ralston as Gleason, Chris Isaac as White, and Ben Mare as Chaffee. In the film Apollo 13, Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) tells his son Jeff (played by Mico Hughes) the tragedy. When Jeff heard about the Apollo 13 accident, Jeff asked vigilantly: "Is the hatch (something wrong?)?"
- Gleason and Chaffee were buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and White was buried at the American Military School at West Point, New York, USA. Their names are also engraved on a space memorial mirror at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center.
- The three public schools in Huntsville, Alabama, were named after Apollo 1 players: Virgil I. Grissom High School, and Edward White Middle School . And other schools (Ed White Middle School) and Roger Chaffee Elementary School.
- Three Hills of Apollo 1 Gleason Hill