Roger B. Chaffee
American astronaut
Also known as: Roger Bruce Chaffee
Roger B. Chaffee (born Feb. 15, 1935, Grand Rapids, Mich., U.S.—died Jan. 27, 1967, Cape Kennedy, Fla.) was a U.S. astronaut who was a member of the three-man Apollo 1 crew killed when a flash fire swept their space capsule during a simulation of a launching. Chaffee died along with the veteran space travellers Virgil I. Grissom and Edward H. White II. They were the first casualties of the U.S. space program.
Quick Facts
- In full:
- Roger Bruce Chaffee
- Born:
- Feb. 15, 1935, Grand Rapids, Mich., U.S.
- Died:
- Jan. 27, 1967, Cape Kennedy, Fla. (aged 31)
After earning his B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., in 1957, Chaffee became a Navy pilot. He was chosen as one of the third group of astronauts in 1963.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.