"The lack of an adequate emergency escape system on spacecraft has been controversial since the Apollo moon program, when three astronauts were sealed inside a

"The lack of an adequate emergency escape system on spacecraft has been controversial since the Apollo moon program, when three astronauts were sealed inside a capsule that caught fire on the launch pad. The three deaths forced NASA to delay the program and provide a hatch that could be opened from the inside." This is both poorly researched and poorly written. AS-204 (later called Apollo 1) had an escape system. It was entirely inappropriate for the accident mode, so the mention of it here is unclear. Certainly, "adequate" is a term best applied after an accident, since all possible failure modes cannot be designed for, especially given size and weight constraints. In addition, the hatch mentioned was openable from the inside, but it was an inward-opening hatch. The nature of the accident (too much cabin pressure) prevented it from being opened. The later Block II spacecraft incorporated an outward-opening hatch. Still openable from the inside, but had Apollo 1 had such a hatch, it is more likely that it could have been opened under the conditions encountered, given enough time. Indeed, two astronauts were following the exit procedure to the letter, attempting to open the hatch. Unfortunately, temperature & pressure & suit breach resulting in asphyxiation prevented them from succeeding.