Apollo 1 crew. Crew selected for the first manned Apollo space flight on board the Apollo Saturn V rocket. From left to right the astronauts are: Roger B. Chaffee, Edward H. White and Virgil I. Grissom. This Apollo 1 crew was killed on 27 January 1967 during a routine simulated launch test on board the Apollo Saturn V rocket. An electrical short circuit caused a fire that engulfed the Apollo command module in seconds, killing all 3 crew members.