Muhammad Ali was on the verge of making history at the Louisiana Superdome, becoming the first man to win the World Heavyweight title three times in a row. In the nation’s capital, almost a hundred thousand demonstrators marched in support of the Equal Rights Amendment-at the time, the largest march for women’s rights in US history. Billboards advertised the new Hollywood blockbuster Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Disco hits from the Bee Gees’, “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive,” blared from the radio.
No one budged.Ī few weeks earlier, as Ron moved his family across the country from left-leaning Malibu, California, to the Lone Star State, the summer sizzled. If this reality was too much for any of them to accept, the instructor suggested, now was the time to go. Are you sure you’re ready for this? The audio was a wake-up call, especially for those like Ron who had not served in the military and had never had a job with life-and-death consequences. The instructor surveyed the faces of the astronaut candidates. Even though over a decade had passed since the accident, the pain and fear of the astronauts who perished was palpable to the room of new recruits. During a preflight test on January 27, 1967, astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee had burned alive. In one of the many tiered seats in Mission Control, Ron McNair and his new classmates listened to a recording of the Apollo 1 fire. Then the transmission faded into nothing but static. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.
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