The old abandoned Launch Pad of
the Apollo missions is believed to be haunted by the
ghosts of the three astronauts that lost their lives
in a tragic fire. When you are on the pad you get
a weird feeling, then at night when you enter some
of the abandoned buildings, if you're quiet you can
hear screams of panic and distress.
NASA, at one time, let visitors
tour the facility, but due to 'strange occurrences'
they no longer include the Apollo Launch Pad on the
tour.
September
2003
There are actually
two main launch pads that they used for the
Apollo/Saturn missions. They are Complex 37
& 34. Both complexes are dismantled and
abandoned. You can click on the pictures to
the right and below for a larger view.
Launch Complex 34 is where
the three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom,
Lt. Col. Edward H. White, and Roger B. Chaffee,
lost their lives during a preflight test where
the Apollo command module was mounted on an
unfueled Saturn 5 rocket on the launch pad.
The crew had planned to go through the entire
countdown sequence.
On
January 27, 1967 a flash fire engulfed the module
just weeks before they were scheduled for blastoff
into space. Caused by a spark from a short circuit
in wires near Lt. Col. Grisson's seat, and because
the cabin had been filled with pure oxygen, the fire
spread quickly. Also, to make maters worse, the hatch
to the module opened inward and was secured by a number
of latches. It took at least 90 seconds to open the
hatch under normal conditions. The Astronauts never
had a chance.
There is definitely an erie feeling
on the site of this tragedy. Knowing the history behind
Launch Complex 34, you can not help but feel solace
and respect when you are there. But the question is,
is this launch pad haunted by the ghosts of the three
astronauts that lost their lives so tragically? I
doubt so, but that's what I plan on finding out. below
are some pictures taken of the pad and surrounding
area. Feel free to browse them so you too can get
a feel for what we're about to do!
VIDEO:
As we were looking around
the pad we found a small hole with a ladder
leading down to an underground room. Click
here to view it.
Also we found a couple of
rooms to the north of the launch pad. It was
really kind of freaky...like a blair witch
video. Click
here to view it.
We finally got a chance to get to the launch
pad early in October to perform our full investigation.
All four points of interest were explored. Unfortunately,
is was really dark out there, so dark that we
couldn't get any good still pictures at all.
However, the video camera worked flawlessly
and there is plenty of video evidence to support
our findings.
First
off, I bought an authentic patch from the Apollo
1 mission. I thought that if this pad was haunted,
maybe if I left Something that had to do with
the tragedy somewhere the Spooks may take it
or feel obligated to come out and play. I took
the patch and placed it in the center of the
pedestal. The exact place where the three astronauts
lost their lives.
After we left the patch, we went to find the underground
room from section (4). We had a little trouble
finding it since it was so incredibly dark, but
we finally did, and true to my word I went down
there...and found NOTHING!
After
that we headed over to the control rooms in
section (2). Now I have to admit, I was a little
freaked out in them. Not because I was scared
of ghosts or anything, but because I was a little
nervous about getting caught, not that we were
there illegally, it would just be weird explaining
to a bunch of armed military police that you're
there on a 'spook hunt'. Plus it didn't help
that Jason kept scaring me every five seconds.
Or,
Join the discussion about this hunt
by Clicking
Here!
Anyway, the rooms were very
dark, and very warm. One room connected to another
room witch then connected to another and then
to another, and so on. There was also a long
tunnel that did in fact run underneath the whole
launch pad over to section (3) where it is flooded.
We walked the whole way back and forth. Hi-jinks
galore...
We finally made our way back to the surface,
seeing nothing underground except for some
possibly possessed frogs. Naturally we started
to pack up, then I remembered the patch that
I had set beneath the pedestal in section
(1). Jason and I went back to retrieve it.
It took us a while, but we finally found it,
but in a different spot than where I had left
it.
The wind was blowing pretty good in a SE direction.
However we found the patch about thirty feet
SW from where I set it. People have E-mailed
me saying that the wind could have been caused
by the spirits that were unhappy with our presence
there, but I seriously doubt it, or the spooks
would have made sure we wouldn't have found
that patch at all.
Needless to say I really doubt there are any
ghosts hanging around the old Apollo Launch
pad 34. There may have been some there at one
time, but I'm pretty sure they've moved on.
But you don't have to take my word for it...
)
)
)
On
January 27, 1967 a flash fire engulfed the module
just weeks before they were scheduled for blastoff
into space. Caused by a spark from a short circuit
in wires near Lt. Col. Grisson's seat, and because
the cabin had been filled with pure oxygen, the fire
spread quickly. Also, to make maters worse, the hatch
to the module opened inward and was secured by a number
of latches. It took at least 90 seconds to open the
hatch under normal conditions. The Astronauts never
had a chance.)
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VIDEO:
First
off, I bought an authentic patch from the Apollo
1 mission. I thought that if this pad was haunted,
maybe if I left Something that had to do with
the tragedy somewhere the Spooks may take it
or feel obligated to come out and play. I took
the patch and placed it in the center of the
pedestal. The exact place where the three astronauts
lost their lives.
After
that we headed over to the control rooms in
section (2). Now I have to admit, I was a little
freaked out in them. Not because I was scared
of ghosts or anything, but because I was a little
nervous about getting caught, not that we were
there illegally, it would just be weird explaining
to a bunch of armed military police that you're
there on a 'spook hunt'. Plus it didn't help
that Jason kept scaring me every five seconds.)
