Roger B. Chaffee
Selected in NASA’s third group of astronauts in 1963, Roger B. Chaffee was to make his first spaceflight on the AS-204 mission, the first of the Apollo program. On January 27, 1967, his life, along with his two crewmates, was tragically lost in a flash fire that sparked inside the command module.
Quick Facts
Roger Chaffee was selected in NASA’s third group of astronauts in October 1963.
On March 21, 1966, Chaffee was selected as one of the pilots for the AS-204 mission, the first 3-man Apollo flight.
Chaffee logged more than 2,300 hours flying time, including more than 2,000 in jet aircraft.
Chaffee was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
Biography
Roger B. Chaffee
Learn more about Astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, including when he was selected by NASA to be an astronaut, his flight experience, education, background and more.
Learn More about Roger B. Chaffee
Apollo 1
On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck on the launch pad at Cape Kennedy during a preflight test for Apollo 204. The mission was to be the first crewed flight of the Apollo program. Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee lost their lives when a fire swept through the command module.
Learn More About the Tragedy about Apollo 1
