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The Apollo 1 fire was the first US space tragedy on January 27 1967, although it occurred on the ground with technicians within feet of the capsule on the launchpad.

During pre-launch day tests, fire broke out in the crew capsule, killing astronauts Gus Grossom, Ed White ( the nation's first spacewalker) and rookie Roger Chaffee.

The fire was caused by an electrical short circuit, and modifications were made to improve the safety of the wiring after the accident. (These improvements are thought to have been one of the factors that prevented Apollo 13 from later becoming the second US space disaster. The extra insulation prevented electrical problems when the command and lunar modules became saturated in low temperatures when the power systems were turned off.) The noxious gases generated killed the three astronauts well before rescuers could approach the capsule due to extreme heat and the rupture of the capsule.

The first loss during an actual mission was the Challenger space shuttle, on January 28th 1986. The shuttle was torn apart 73 seconds after launch due to the failure of a seal on the solid rocket booster to function properly in the low temperatures. This allowed hot gases and flames to leak out and burn through the external fuel tank.

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