Apollo 1 Crew Showcased in Old NASA Image

This remarkably hopeful-looking image NASA brought back to public awareness recently depicts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee, the three members of the Apollo 1 that were killed during a test of the first version of the Apollo Command Module.

Originally designated Apollo Saturn-204 (AS-204), their mission was renamed Apollo 1, and the name was then retired from active use at NASA. All subsequent Apollo flights were numbered consecutively from Apollo 1.

The fire that killed the three astronauts occurred on January 27, 1967, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's (CCAFS) Launch Pad 34. This crew was supposed to conduct the first manned mission of the Apollo lunar landing program.

Tomorrow, January 27, marks the 45th commemoration of the tragic accident, which stands as a testimony of the price we have to pay in order to push the boundaries of our knowledge ever further.