27 January 2008

Ad Astra per Aspera

On 27 January 1967, America lost its first astronauts in a spacecraft. In a test. There was supposed to be no risk - there wasn't even fuel in the rocket!

And yet, in less than fifteen seconds, a violent fire snuffed out some of America's brave explorers - Gus Grissom, Ed White (first American spacewalker), and Roger Chaffee.



I think it's important that we remember a quote from Gus Grissom, "If we die, we want people to accept it. We are in a risky business and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'll never forget that, either. It was such a shock and so very sad, especially to those of us who felt connected in some way.