The Apollo Astronaut Rescue Team was created as a result of the tragic Apollo One fire that killed Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee in January 27, 1967. The Astronaut Rescue team was established on October 7, 1968 and began an intensive 12 week training program in preparation for the Apollo 8 launch to the moon.
Astronaut Rescueman Bill Killen examines the
Apollo Command Module Door Locking SystemThe original Apollo Astronaut Rescue Team was composed of volunteers selected from the ranks of the Kennedy Space Center Fire Department (KSCFD). Selected for Astronaut Rescueman on the original team were: L.S. "Clyde" Ball*, G. D. "Tadpole" Driskell, W.H. "Bill" Hogan, W. D. "Bill" Killen, J. O. "Joe" Morgan*, R.V. "Bob" Rinaldi, D. K. "Deke" Swift*, M. C. "Mel" Thorne, R. E. "Gene" Weldon. R. D. "Roy" Terry* was Team Commander and Arthur L. "Al" Wozniak was Team Leader and Aubrey R. Weldon was Fire Chief.
Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Rescue Team
Astronaut Rescueman Bill Killen explaining the procedures for removal of helmet and oxygen lines from the Apollo Astronaut Space Suit.
Left to right are Ed Bidault, Charles Mullis, Killen, Rex Yates, Rod Hobbs, Randall Marlow and Charles Short.
1969 Kennedy Space Center Fire Department
Astronaut Rescueman Bill Killen demonstrating the emergency release mechanism on the Apollo Command Module.
Left to right are Killen, Rex Yates, Rod Hobbs, Randall Marlow, Ed Bidault and Charles Mullis.
September 1972 Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Rescue Team
Front Row left to right: Bill Killen, Sherwin Olsson, Happy Savage, Ken Gaines (Army paramedic), Jim McCallum, Mel Thorne, Bill Churchill (USAF paramedic)
Second Row left to right: Doc Ferguson, Paul Wallace, Jim Tanner, (Army paramedic), Ace Sadler, Marion Jacobs, Roger Tome, Jim Dittrich and Gene Crawford.Prior to each Apollo launch, members were selected from volunteers within the 120 member fire department to serve on the Astronaut Rescue Team. Following several months of study, Fire Chief Paul Pettelle incorporated rescue services within the KSC Fire Department combat structure on August 14, 1972. This team provided rescue services throughout the Kennedy Space Center, as well as Astronaut Rescue capability for the Apollo 17 and Skylab missions.
Astronaut Rescue Team performs rescue drill during hypergolic fire with nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl hydrazine
Selected on the basis of qualifications and seniority for this permanent team were: Clay E "Geno" Crawford*, James George Edward "Fireman 43" Dittrich*, Edward L. "Doc" Ferguson, Sherwin L. "Pike" Olsson, Millard "Ace" Sadler, Happy A. "Hap" Savage, Paul "Pearl" Wallace, and veterans from the original team, Melvin C. "Mel" Thorne and William D. "Bill" Killen. Team Commander for the rescue Team was Marion A. "Jake" Jacobs* and Team Leader was James McCallum* and Paul S. Pettelle* Fire Chief.
The Astronaut Rescue Team was disestablished February 11, 1974.
* Deceased
