Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Degree Program
History
Department
History
Major Professor
John D Fitzmorris
Second Advisor
Marc Landry
Third Advisor
Allen Millett
Abstract
During a routine test at Cape Kennedy, the Apollo 1 fire of January 27, 1967, was the first major tragedy of the U.S. space program. While often overshadowed by Apollo 11’s triumph and Apollo 13’s crisis, this thesis argues that the fire was a preventable disaster. Drawing on NASA archives, it shows that repeated warnings about hazardous workmanship and unsafe designs—including the inward-opening hatch, faulty communications, and flawed wiring—were ignored. Reports such as the Phillips Report (1965–66) and the Baron Report (1966) highlighted these dangers well before the accident that killed astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. Multiple investigations by NASA, North American Aviation, and Congress revealed systemic failures and prompted sweeping reforms in engineering, materials, and oversight. This thesis contends that the disaster, though unnecessary, was pivotal in shaping the safety culture that enabled later Apollo successes, thereby re-centering Apollo 1 in space history
Recommended Citation
Theriot, Toby M., "Divine Fire: Apollo the quest for the moon" (2026). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3385.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3385
Included in
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Military History Commons, Political History Commons, Public History Commons, United States History Commons
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.