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The charred interior of the Apollo I spacecraft shown after the flash fire that killed astronauts Ed White, Roger Chaffee, and Virgil Grissom, January 27, 1967. (AP Photo) ( APOLLO 1 FIRE )

The crew of Apollo 204, also known as Apollo 1, shown in their space suits January, 1967. Front to rear are Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee. (AP photo/Nasa) ( APOLLO CREW KILLED )

The charred interior of the Apollo 1 spacecraft after the flash fire that killed astronauts Ed White, Roger Chaffee, and Virgil Grissom, on January 27, 1967 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Photographed on Jan.28,1967 this severely damaged area is the most likely region for the start of the blaze. The area is near the floor in the lower forward section of the left hand equipment bay below the spacecraft's Environmental Control Unit. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration released a report in Washington about this incident on April 9, 1967. (AP Photo). ( APOLLO CREW KILLED )

In this 1966 photo made available by NASA, technicians work on the Spacecraft 012 Command Module at Cape Kennedy, Fla., for the Apollo/Saturn 204 mission. During a launch pad test on Jan. 27, 1967, a flash fire erupted inside the capsule killing three Apollo crew members. (NASA via AP) ( Apollo Fire 50 Years )

In this June 1966 photo made available by NASA, the Apollo 1 crew practices water evacuation procedures with a full scale model of the spacecraft at Ellington AFB, near the then-Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston. In the rafts at right are astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee, foreground. In a raft near the spacecraft is astronaut Virgil Grissom. (NASA via AP) ( Apollo Fire 50 Years )

This undated photo made available by NASA shows the Apollo 1 crew, from left, Edward H. White II, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, and Roger B. Chaffee. On Jan. 27, 1967, a flash fire erupted inside their capsule during a countdown rehearsal, with the astronauts atop the rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 34. All three were killed. (NASA via AP) ( Apollo Fire Astronauts )

The Apollo 1 spacecraft, with black smudge marks visible on the heat shield, is lowered from its Saturn 1 booster at Cape Kennedy,Florida on Feb. 17, 1967. For the next several days, the cone shaped hulk wrecked by the blaze that killed astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee will be examined in detail by investigators probing to find out that caused the tragedy. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin/Pool) ( Apollo 1 )

Unidentified guard stands at the Saturn 1 launch pad area on January 28,1967 at the Cape Kennedy Space Center the day after a flash fire that caused the deaths the Apollo 1 crew at Cape Canaverel, Fla. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil Grissom; Lt. Col Edward H. White, and Lt. Commander Roger Chafee were killed January 27, 1967 when a fire erupted on the launch pad during a preflight test for the Apollo 1, AS-204 Moon mission. (AP Photo) ( APOLLO CREW KILLED )

The cone-shaped object high in the Saturn-Apollo rocket gantry is the shield-covered spacecraft in which three astronauts were killed when a flash fire struck during a countdown simulation, shown in Cape Kennedy on Jan. 28, 1967 when National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials escorted newsmen to within 1,000 feet of the rocket pad. (AP Photo/Harold Valentine) ( Apollo 1 )

Named by NASA Manned Spacecraft Center to be the primary crew for the first manned Apollo space flight are these astronauts in Houston, Texas on March 21, 1966. From left to right are Lt. Col. Edward H. White, II, USAF; Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, USAF; and Lt. Roger B. Chaffee, USN. Grissom and White are veteran space travelers, while Chaffee will be taking his first orbital voyage. Grissom will be command pilot. (AP Photo) ( Apollo 1 )

Technicians and officials inspect the aluminum covered Apollo 1 spacecraft after it was lowered from its booster at pad 34 at Cape Kennedy, Florida on Feb. 17, 1967. Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, lost their lives when a flash fire raced through the spacecraft on January 27. For the next several days the vehicle will be examined in detail by investigators probing to find out what caused the tragedy. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin/Pool) ( Apollo 1 )

America’s Apollo 1 spacecraft, perched atop a special truck at Cape Kennedy in Florida on Jan. 6, 1966, moved to the launch pad as preparations moved ahead to launch the nation’s first three-man astronaut crew into orbit about February 21. The Apollo 1 spaceship is to carry air force Lt. Cols. Virgil I. Grissom and Edward H. White II and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Roger B. Chaffee into Earth orbit to spend up to 14 days checking out spacecraft operations. (AP Photo) ( Space Moon U.S. Project Apollo I Flight )

Dr. Robert B. Gilruth, right, director of the Manned Spacecraft Center, at a news conference in Houston on March 21, 1966 where he named the astronauts on his right as the crew to board the first manned Apollo flight. The crew, from left to right are: Roger B. Chaffee, Edward H. White II and Virgil I. Grissom. White and Grissom are veterans in space; Chaffee will be making his first flight. (AP Photo/Ted Powers) ( Apollo 1 )

Astronaut Edward H. White II along with Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee, the primary crew of the first manned Apollo space flight, went through the water training exercise about five miles in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Galveston, Texas on Oct. 27, 1966. Astronaut White leans out the hatch of the Apollo spacecraft as he inflates a rubber raft during emergency procedure training. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky) ( Apollo 1 )

Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, center, prepares to join his crew aboard a rubber raft as he leaves an Apollo spacecraft in the water of the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 27, 1966. The first Apollo crew was training about five miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas on its emergency procedures. Astronaut Edward H. White II is at left in the raft and Astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, is right. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky) ( Apollo 1 )

Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, right, command pilot for the first manned Apollo space flight, explains part of program at a news conference at Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas on March 22, 1966. The other two crew members named by NASA are Lt. Roger B. Chaffee, USN, left, and Lt. Col. Edward H. White, USAF. (AP Photo) ( Apollo 1 )

Astronaut Edward H. White II as he is lifted aboard a Coast Guard helicopter for the trip back to the Houston Manned Spacecraft center on Oct. 27, 1966. White along with Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee were training on emergency procedures in leaving the Apollo spacecraft in the water. The training session took place about 5-miles off shore from Galveston, Texas. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky) ( Apollo 1 )

Command pilot Virgil (Gus) Grissom, at microphone, tells a news conference in Downey, California on August 4, 1966, the 11,000-pound Apollo space craft should be ready to go to Florida next week for final tests. A mockup of the Apollo is in right background. Grissom’s crewmen are Roger B. Chaffee, right, and Edward H. White, second from right. Back-up crew members are, left to right: Rusty Schweickart, David R. Scott and James A. McDivitt. (AP Photo/George Brich) ( Apollo 1 Mockup )

FILE - This undated file photo provided by NASA shows the Apollo 1 crew at an undisclosed location. From left: astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee. All three perished after a fire broke out inside the Apollo 1 module during a launch rehearsal on Jan. 27, 1967, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (AP Photo/NASA, File) ( Astronaut Memorial )

FILE- In this July 21, 1961 file photo, astronaut Virgil "Gus" Grissom poses next to the space capsule Liberty Bell 7, for his departure from Cape Caneveral, Fla. Grissom was among the crew who perished after a fire broke out inside the Apollo 1 module during a launch rehearsal on Jan. 27, 1967, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (AP Photo/File) ( Astronaut Memorial )

A horse drawn caisson bearing the body of astronaut Virgil Grissom rolls through nearby Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., Jan. 31, 1967. Walking beside the flag-draped casket as honor pallbearers are astronauts, from left on this side of caisson, Marine Col. John Glenn, Air Force Col. Gordon Cooper, Navy Cmdr. John Young; from left on far side of casket, Donald Slayton, Navy Capt. Alan Sheperd and Navy Cmdr. Scott Carpenter. Grissom was killed in the Apollo 1 fire on launch pad on Jan. 27. (AP Photo) ( FUNERAL ASTRONAUT GRISSOM )

The charred interior of the Apollo I spacecraft shown after the flash fire that killed astronauts Ed White, Roger Chaffee, and Virgil Grissom, January 27, 1967. (AP photo) ( APOLLO 1 FIRE )

Rep. Ken Hechler, D-W.Va., crawls from a spacecraft, a sister ship of Apollo 1, after entering for a briefing from Astronaut Frank Borman at Cape Kennedy, Florida on April 21, 1967. Rep. Hechler was a member of the House Sub-Committee on NASA oversight who was holding hearings at the Space Center on the Apollo 1 fire that killed astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee. (AP Photo/Jim Kerlin/Pool) ( Apollo 1 )

President Clinton presents Martha Chaffee, widow of astronaut Lt. Commander Roger Chaffee with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday Dec. 17, 1997. Edward White III, who received the medal for his late father Edward White II looks on at center. White and Chaffee, along with Gus Grissom where killed Jan. 27, 1967 when a fire erupted on the launch pad during a preflight test for the Apollo 1 Moon mission. (AP Photo/Doug Mills) ( CLINTON SPACE MEDAL )

President Clinton presents Edward White III, son of late Apollo 1 astronaut Lt. Col. Edward White II, with a Congressional Space Medal of Honor during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday Dec. 17, 1997. White, along with fellow astronauts Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee were killed Jan. 27, 1967 when a fire erupted on the launch pad during a preflight test for the Apollo 1 Moon mission. (AP Photo/Doug Mills) ( CLINTON SPACE MEDAL )

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Charles Bolden pauses after laying a wreath at the tomb of Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., in commemoration of NASA's National Day of Remembrance. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ( Challenger Memorial )

Former space commander and moonwalker John Young lays a flower at the dead astronauts memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 27, 2007, paying tribute to three fellow astronauts who died in the Apollo 1 fire 40 years ago. The three astronauts, Virgil Gus Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee perished during a ground test less than three weeks before their scheduled launch. Grissom was the second American to fly in space in 1961. He flew aboard the Gemini 3 spacecraft in 1965, along with John Young. (AP Photo/Stefano Coledan) ( Apollo Ceremony )