Remembering Gus Grissom: A Pioneer of American Space Exploration
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Virgil I. 'Gus' Grissom, one of NASA's first astronauts. Born on April 3, 1926, in Mitchell, Indiana, Grissom became the second American to fly in space aboard the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft in 1961. Despite a successful flight, the mission faced challenges when the capsule's hatch blew prematurely, causing it to flood. Grissom was rescued, but the spacecraft sank. He later commanded the first crewed Gemini mission in 1965. Tragically, Grissom, along with astronauts Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a fire during a preflight test for the Apollo 1 mission in 1967.