AIAA Statement on the Apollo 1 Monument

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Apollo 1 monument as pictured at Arlington National Cemetery, Thursday, June 2, 2022. | Credit: Bill Ingalls; NASA

June 17, 2022 – Reston, Va.  – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Executive Director Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“AIAA welcomes the long overdue new monument honoring Apollo 1 Astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White, and Roger B. Chaffee recently placed at Arlington National Cemetery. It appropriately reads, “Ad astra per aspera,” or “Through hardships to the stars.”

We remember the tragedy on January 27, 1967, when a flash fire occurred in the command module during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle and the three astronauts died. We commend the efforts of NASA and the space community to remind us of the sacrifices astronauts and their families have made in our pursuit of the space frontier.

As the largest professional technical society for the aerospace profession, AIAA recognizes the Apollo 1 crew as integral to the success of the Apollo program as the foundation of the ongoing human exploration of space. Today, the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA carry on their pursuit, shaping the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, RebeccaG@AIAA.org, 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.