News Archive

Wednesday, January 28, 2004 NASA Honors Apollo 1 Crew Apollo 1 crew, from left to right, Roger Chaffee, Ed White and Gus Grissom. Credit: NASA/JPL "Through recorded history explorers have had both the honor and responsibility of naming significant landmarks," said NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. "Gus, Ed, and Roger's contributions, as much as their sacrifice, helped make our giant leap for mankind possible. Today, as America strides towards our next giant leap, NASA and the Mars Exploration Rover team created a fitting tribute to these brave explorers and their legacy.” Yesterday, 37 years ago, Apollo 1 caught fire on the launch pad during a systems test. Inside were Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. All three perished in the fire and caused NASA to redo its safety programs and change to a Nitrogen/Oxygen atmosphere. Yesterday, NASA has honored these men by naming 3 hills, as seen from Spirit after them. From left to right, Chaffee Hill, Grissom Hill, and White Hill. "Grissom Hill" is located 7.5 kilometers southwest of Spirit, "White Hill," 11.2 kilometers northwest, and "Chaffee Hill" 14.3 kilometers south-southwest. (More info: NASA/JPL) @ 19:59 EST