The tragic deaths of the US astronauts of the Apollo 1 fire caused many to wonder whether space exploration was worth the risk. Astronaut Gus Grissom, one of those that perished in the fire on January 27, 1967, once said,
“If we die, we want people to accept it. We’re 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.”
Gus Grissom was one of the true American heroes who paid the ultimate price for space exploration. Three other men also died tragically between Alan Shepard’s flight in 1961 and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon in 1969. These men, chosen by NASA, lost their lives before ever traveling into space. They paved the way for their fellow astronauts to do so. This is their story:
Charles Bassett was an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, and a test pilot for NASA. NASA selected Bassett as an astronaut in the third group chosen in October of 1963. While working for NASA, Bassett participated in astronaut-training program, specifically responsible for training and simulation testing.
Slated to pilot the Gemini 9 mission, Charles Bassett died on February 28, 1966, in the crash of a T-38 jet. NASA credits Charles Bassett’s work in the testing and engineering of jet airplanes, for helping to pave the way for future spaceflights.
Theodore Freeman served in the USAF, and then served as flight test aeronautical engineer and experimental flight test instructor at Edwards Air Force Base in California. His responsibilities included performance flight-testing and stability testing areas.
Freeman became one of fourteen astronauts in October of 1963. Sadly, Theodore Freeman died one year later on October 31, 1964, at Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, Texas, in the crash of a T-38 jet. His work in the testing and engineering of jet airplanes allowed NASA engineers to continue developing safer ways for man to travel into space.
Elliot See was a Naval Aviator, and worked as a flight test engineer, a group leader, and an experimental test pilot. He flew all types of aircraft, and NASA selected Elliott See as one of nine pilot astronauts in September 1962.
Participating in all aspects of the astronaut-training program, Elliott See was also responsible for monitoring the design and development of guidance and navigation systems. Additionally, he helped coordinate mission planning. Scheduled to be command pilot for the upcoming Gemini 9 flight, tragically, Elliott See died on February 28, 1966, in St. Louis, Missouri, along with Charles Bassett, in the crash of a T-38 aircraft.
When weighing the risks against the benefits of space travel, these three men were fearless even though they all knew the danger, because they were first pilots during WWII and the Korean War, flying fighter planes, and supersonic jets.
Being the bravest America had to offer; their sacrifices were not in vain. They set the stage for future astronauts to travel into, make discoveries in, and work, in space.
