Manned Spacecraft Center Progress Report, January-June 1967

Duration: 26:52:00

Year Published: 1967

Format: 16mm

Sound: sound

Description: In January 1967, astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee died in a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal for AS-204 (later named Apollo 1). Produced by the Houston-based A-V Corporation for NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), this government film details some of the findings of the 204 Accident Review Board and the corrective steps taken to ensure the safety of the Apollo spacecraft, most of which are described by the astronauts who will be flying aboard Apollo 7. The progress report next surveys the various Apollo simulators—many of which were located at the MSC in Houston—used to train the Apollo 7 crew. Simulators featured here include those for the Command and Lunar Modules, as well as the launch simulator, target and docking simulator, water immersion facility, partial gravity simulator, and mission procedures simulator. We also get a look at the state-of-the-art computer technology used to run the simulators and the communications, command, and telemetry systems. We round out this progress report with a tour of the MSC's newly completed Lunar Receiving Laboratory, including an explanation of the quarantining procedures for returning astronauts and lunar samples.