Feb 21 1967
From The Space Library
Reps. Samuel S. Stratton (D-N.Y.) and Durward G. Hall (R-Mo.) , members of House Armed Services Committee, released report charging that insufficient safeguards were at least partly responsible for deaths of three Apollo astronauts in Jan. 27 fire at KSC and two airmen in Jan. 31 fire at Brooks AFB. "Our inquiry suggests that [fire prevention].procedures, not only at Brooks, but also at Cape Kennedy, were in fact inadequate," they told newsmen. Congressmen noted what they considered to be questionable procedures in safeguarding against fires in space capsules with 100% oxygen atmosphere: (1) absence of closed-circuit television monitoring of Apollo spacecraft or Brooks chamber; (2) absence of automatic or manually activated fire extinguishing system onboard either capsule; (3) use of sponges by airmen although sponge burns up to 80 times faster in pure oxygen; and (4) use of foam couches by astronauts although foam burns 20-30 times faster in pure oxygen. The congressmen said they had begun their probe because of "an interest in the two fires as they bear on the safety of armed services personnel." Future efforts would concentrate on Brooks AFB fire. (O'Toole, W Post, 2/22/67, A4)
MSC awarded Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. a $3.4-million, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development and testing of an improved fuel cell power system for Apollo Applications (AA) program. (NASA Release 67-33)
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