Page 72 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Jan-Feb 2018, Vol 27, No 1

72 From The Page Of Fringe News

The Apollo 1 Conspiracy;

Did NASA Cover Up Gus

Grissom’s Death?

Most people are familiar with the names of the
famous NASA astronauts who pioneered the
early space program that led to the first lunar
landing in 1969. Names like Buzz Aldrin, Neil
Armstrong, John Glenn and Alan Shepard are
familiar in the pantheon of space pioneers,
though there is one name that is less recognized,
but equally important; Gus Grissom. While he
played an integral role in getting the space
program on its feet, his legacy will be forever
marred by the Apollo 1 conspiracy as well as
other controversies in his career, but is any of it
true?

What Happened to Gus Grissom?

Virgil Ivan “Gus” Grissom was the second man
in U.S. history to fly in space, preceded only by
Alan Shepard and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. On
July 21st, 1961, Grissom reached a suborbital gathered at Cape Kennedy Air Force Station for light the technical issues surrounding the Apollo
altitude of about 118 miles above the Earth’s a “plugs-out” test, which was essentially a mock 1 mission, whose story is particularly
surface in a 15 minute flight, before making his launch. conspicuous in the possibility of a larger cover-
descent in the Mercury capsule, which he Within the first few hours, it became up. Thomas Ronald Baron was a quality control
dubbed the Liberty Bell 7. clear that there were numerous issues with the and safety inspector for NAA who has been
Thus, started the controversy in module. The crew reported a foul smell coming highly critical of NASA and its protocol during
Grissom’s career, as he narrowly escaped death from their breathing oxygen system as well as the Apollo project. Baron put out a 55-page
from what initially appeared to be a botched issues with their communication system. report detailing the shortcomings and disarray
landing from his failure to execute protocol, but Grissom was notably aggravated with the that the program was in.
what actually turned out to be a faulty technical difficulties and was recorded as Baron’s report was brushed off as being
mechanism in the capsule’s hatch release. saying, “How are we going to get to the moon if overly critical and blown out of proportion, with
Grissom landed in the Atlantic in we can’t talk between two or three buildings?” few of his claims having any real credibility. At
choppy waters, whereupon his hatch door blew and calling the module a “bucket full of screws.” one point, he testified before Congress claiming
open prematurely. Grissom immediately But Grissom had also shown frustrations that, under current circumstances at NASA, we
jumped out without making the necessary with the program leading up to that day, having would never make it to the moon. Though,
adjustments to prevent water from seeping into purportedly told his wife, Betty, that if there many did not pay attention to Baron and
his already 22 lb. spacesuit. Meanwhile, the were ever a serious accident in the space believed that he was potentially being used as a
capsule itself, which was supposed to be program it would likely involve him. He was pawn in Sen. Walter Mondale’s campaign to
recovered, started taking on water, making it also said to have grabbed a lemon from a tree on expose and dismantle NASA for its wasteful
way too heavy to be hoisted out of the ocean by his property before heading to base and tying it spending. Baron was fired by NAA for leaking
helicopter. Eventually the helicopter pilot gave to the hatch of the simulator. When he was asked his report to the press, while his company
up, realizing he wouldn’t be able to tow the by the media what he thought the chances were denied the majority of his criticisms. It later
capsule to shore, and noticing that Grissom was of the Apollo missions succeeding, he replied came out that top-level officials verified the
minutes from drowning. that he thought they were slim. credibility of at least half of his claims.
Though he was saved, Grissom came Within a few hours of the simulation, a A few weeks later, the Apollo disaster
under heavy criticism for not following spark from under Grissom’s seat ignited a fire occurred and Baron began work on turning his
procedure, leading many to believe that he that quickly engulfed the entire capsule. The 55-page report into a 500-page report
panicked and released the hatch too soon. pure oxygen and highly pressurized cabin excoriating NASA and NAA for the failures that
Grissom denied these claims, stating that the quickly fueled the fire and prevented the led to the tragedy. Oddly enough, within a week
hatch released randomly and that he never astronauts from being able to open the hatch, Baron and his family were killed when their car
touched the activation plunger. trapping them inside. They all perished before was struck by a train. The cause of death was
The capsule sunk to the bottom of the NASA employees were able to open the hatch ruled accidental and no autopsy was performed.
ocean and wasn’t recovered for another 38 and free them. The official verdict was that Baron
years. Grissom received a significant amount of NASA claimed that the fire burned toxic likely tried to race a train to beat it before it
flak from the public and from the aerospace chemicals, causing the astronauts to die from crossed the tracks with his wife and step-
community for losing the capsule. Though it asphyxiation within a minute, though a claim daughter in the car. If this sounds absurd, that’s
was later proven that the hatch released to no from someone within the private contractor because it is. A whistleblower who testified
fault of his own. In 1966, he and his family were North American Aviation said that the crew before Congress against NASA and a large
moved to a safe house and kept under watch by struggled to open the hatch for a full five private aerospace contractor just happened to
the Secret Service. minutes. NAA had been the primary contractor die because he didn’t have the patience to wait
in building the module and was put under for a train to cross? Unsurprisingly, the official
The Apollo 1 Fire and Gus Grissom’s intense scrutiny when a congressional ruling said that he was mentally unstable and
investigation exposed documented evidence of that there was even the possibility that he was
Death
failings and inadequacies in the company’s attempting suicide; a common cover up tactic
development process. and attempt to explain what would otherwise
Grissom along with two other astronauts, Roger
look like a blatant murder. Baron’s 500-page
Chafee and Edward White, were slated to
The Apollo 1 Conspiracy report was destroyed and never published.
launch the inaugural mission of the Apollo
program in February of 1967. About a month
There was one safety inspector who brought to (Continued on Page 73)
prior to the designated launch, the crew