With Grissom, White and Chaffee secured inside, technicians scrambled to open their capsule’s hatch using a ratchet-like device that released latches one after another.
Engineers were aware of the fact that the spacecraft’s pure oxygen atmosphere was potentially flammable; however, they contended it would only ignite at 5 pounds per square inch instead of the 14.7 at sea level pressure.
The launch
The Apollo 1 tragedy sent shockwaves through both our nation and space program, ushering in an era with greater emphasis placed on safety. Additionally, this episode led to several changes that would eventually pave the way for astronauts to travel beyond Earth orbit and reach its distant moon surface.
Fire broke out during a test of the command module (CM), designed to transport three astronauts to the moon. This trial was designed to assess whether its internal power system could safely launch with its cables and umbilicals detached, and an arc of electricity caused an explosion near its environment control system, sparking combustion with materials in its pure oxygen atmosphere at 16.7 pounds above atmospheric pressure (psi).
Nine seconds after Grissom shouted his warning, the crew of three died due to asphyxiation. Pad workers raced towards the command module but were hindered by waves of heat and an “immense grey smoke that could obscure vision six inches ahead of us,” according to pad leader Don Babbitt later described by Babbitt himself.
Investigators determined that the fire likely started due to sparks from faulty electrical wiring inside of a sealed cabin pressurized with pure oxygen, combined with large quantities of combustible materials and vulnerable plumbing carrying flammable coolant, which caused an explosion and subsequent fire which ultimately destroyed CM.
Even after this tragedy, NASA continued with their lunar plans. On October 7 1968, Apollo 7 set sail with a modified Command Module (CM), featuring an easy one-piece hatch that opened in seconds by pushing just once with your fingertip – an extraordinary improvement over its original design that had caused issues during ground tests. Together with an upgraded Saturn V rocket which propelled it towards our solar system’s second planet, these developments established the framework for human exploration of our lunar neighbor.
The fire
As a result of the fire, Grissom, White and Chaffee were rendered unable to use their oxygen tanks and died within minutes. While the exact cause is still unknown, it appears likely that an electrical arc between damaged wires ignited the cabin of their spacecraft, with pressurized oxygen (16.7 pounds per square inch) making any combustible material expand and explode rapidly; further fuelled by strips of Velcro used for holding equipment in place, stacks of paper checklists and nylon netting that covered its interior surface.
Due to latches that could only open from within, crew members were unable to open the three-piece hatch of their capsule. As soon as they shouted for assistance, however, their voices were muffled by waves of heat and “heavy thick grey smoke,” described by pad leader Don Babbitt as being so thick it prevented any clear views in front of their faces – one technician later reported this condition being so intense they could only see six inches in front of their faces!
Following the accident, many participants realized something had gone drastically wrong. A review board concluded that human errors likely contributed to the fire’s outbreak; to prevent recurrences in future prelaunch tests, hatches will now open outward instead of inward and all combustible materials such as beta cloth will be replaced by nonflammable ones like noncombustible beta fabric materials; additionally prelaunch testing cabin atmosphere will no longer consist of 100% oxygen but rather will include mixtures that make travel safer for astronauts.
As a result of the fire, NASA’s space program changed significantly. It was an immense setback, leaving lasting psychological scars among some of their most experienced astronauts like Joe Shea – he suffered mental breakdown after hearing of three astronauts’ deaths from Dumbarton Oaks fire, walking their grounds at night gazing upon tree that reminded him of them and eventually returned back to Nasa headquarters – still tormented by fire that claimed lives he considered friends; later writing in his diary: ‘I still think of them even after leaving Nasa work; work I wished would have ended with them.”
The rescue
Every January, families and friends from Cape Canaveral come together to the disused area near a concrete and steel hulk at Cape Canaveral to lay bright winter blooms near it – to commemorate one of America’s darkest space moments: when an Apollo 1 command module fire during its launch rehearsal test claimed three astronauts lives tragically.
Problems began when electrical wires that ran to an oxygen tank were exposed by fire. Although wrapped with Teflon as a protective insulator, vibration caused it to wear away over time, leaving exposed wires exposed to flames and becoming targets for flame. Once ignited, fire spread throughout the command module causing oxygen tanks to explode and cutting off its supply of breathable air for crew members.
To escape from Apollo, each astronaut had to lower their headrest and activate a ratchet-type device which would release one or more latches. Under ideal conditions, this process took 90 seconds; during emergencies it could take five minutes and 25 seconds; the ratchet device proved difficult for crewmembers who were dehydrated, exhausted or sleep deprived to use.
NASA officials initially misunderstood astronaut Jim Lovell’s report of fire in Odyssey’s second oxygen tank as being caused by routine procedures designed to mix fuel and oxygen tanks so as to keep flammable material from separating into layers, but in reality the cause was more sinister – an oxygen wire had degraded, prompting fans to be turned on in an effort to cool it down; when fans kicked on in response to this action a spark ignited it resulting in serious equipment damage as a result of which other equipment became exposed.
Grissom, White and Chaffee perished in the fire aboard Challenger; Haise alone survived. As oxygen leaked out and fuel cells degraded at an alarming rate, leaving hungry and thirsty astronauts thirsty and hungry – another result of which was an overwhelming sense of urgency among managers that led them to prioritize schedule over safety – which became repeated errors on Challenger and Columbia missions.
The aftermath
As with any major accident, a thorough investigation was undertaken following this event. Congressional committees held hearings to understand what occurred and recommend changes that would prevent it from recurring; furthermore, a review board conducted an inquiry that identified several technical and management lapses that contributed to its causes.
The recommendations from the board were accepted and many changes were implemented, such as installing fire extinguishers in the Apollo command module and switching away from using Teflon for wiring insulation, to something less flammable in pure oxygen environments.
NASA learned from the Apollo fire that it was essential for them to concentrate their efforts on problems likely to arise during flight, rather than those related to preparations. Three astronauts died tragically when their Apollo 1 spacecraft caught fire during an on-ground test and the flash fire spread quickly through it, ultimately leading to its destruction and their deaths.
Accident also demonstrated how hazardous even small errors could be, with Velcro hanging from a window sparking the fire that killed three astronauts. Astronauts relied heavily on strips of Velcro as an easy way to secure loose gear while traveling in zero gravity environments and requested large quantities when customizing their spacecrafts before missions began.
Other issues contributed to the tragedy as well. For example, exit from the capsule required one astronaut lowering another’s headrest in order to activate a ratchet-type device which released one of several latches; doing this in an emergency scenario while wearing a spacesuit proved impossible.
Though tragic losses of three astronauts occurred, America’s Moon landing program continued without being derailed, thanks in large part to President Lyndon B. Johnson who was an advocate of Apollo program and had helped its creation. With his considerable political clout both as Senator and then as President of United States – fire didn’t derail entire Apollo program but did postpone launch of subsequent mission until 1969.