Space Programs

First Humans in Space

What disaster ended the lives of Gus Grissom and two other astronauts?

Gus Grissom (1926–1967) was slated to be one of the first men to walk on the Moon. Regrettably, during a training exercise and pre-launch test of Apollo 1 on January 27, 1967, the spacecraft caught fire with Grissom, Ed White (1930–1967), and Roger B. Chaffee (1935–1967) onboard. All three astronauts were killed.