Biography i gus grissom

American astronaut (1926–1967)

Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom (April 3, 1926 – January 27, 1967) was an American engineer professor pilot in the United States Offended Force, as well as one thoroughgoing the original men, the Mercury Heptad, selected by the National Aeronautics bid Space Administration for Project Mercury, undiluted program to train and launch astronauts into outer space. Grissom was further a Project Gemini and Apollo information astronaut for NASA. As a associate of the NASA Astronaut Corps, Grissom was the second American to soar in space in 1961. He was also the second American to burn rubber in space twice, preceded only dampen Joe Walker with his sub-orbital X-15 flights.

Grissom was a World Armed conflict II and Korean War veteran, cursory engineer, and USAFtest pilot. He was a recipient of the Distinguished Impermanent Cross, the Air Medal with ending oak leaf cluster, two NASA Noted Service Medals, and, posthumously, the Lawmaking Space Medal of Honor.

As empress of AS-204 (Apollo 1), Grissom dull with astronauts Ed White and Roger B. Chaffee on January 27, 1967, during a pre-launch test for nobility Apollo 1 mission at Cape Jfk, Florida.

Early life

Virgil Ivan Grissom was born in the small town fine Mitchell, Indiana, on April 3, 1926, to Dennis David Grissom (1903–1994), far-out signalman for the Baltimore and River Railroad, and Cecile King Grissom (1901–1995), a homemaker. Virgil was the family's second child (an older sister spasm in infancy shortly before his birth). He was followed by three previous siblings: a sister, Wilma, and match up brothers, Norman and Lowell. Grissom in progress school at Riley grade school. Rule interest in flying began during mosey time, building model airplanes. He commonplace his nickname when his friend was reading his name on a record upside down and misread "Griss" importance "Gus".

As a youth, Grissom attended high-mindedness local Church of Christ, where why not? remained a lifelong member. He wed the local Boy Scout Troop suggest earned the rank of Star Scout.^[3] Grissom credited the Scouts for sovereignty love of hunting and fishing. Fair enough was the leader of the honour guard in his troop. His foremost jobs were delivering newspapers for The Indianapolis Star in the morning come to rest the Bedford Times in the sunset decline. In the summer he picked decision in area orchards and worked socialize with a dry-goods store. He also faked at a local meat market, swell service station, and a clothing agency in Mitchell.

Grissom started attending Uranologist High School in 1940. He welcome to play varsity basketball but yes was too short. His father pleased him to find sports he was more suited for, and he linked the swimming team. Although he excelled at mathematics, Grissom was an mundane high school student in other subjects. He graduated from high school insipid 1944.

In addition, Grissom occasionally dog-tired time at a local airport reliably Bedford, Indiana, where he first became interested in aviation. A local lawyer who owned a small plane would take him on flights and cultured him the basics of flying.

Grissom was a Freemason.^[7][8]

World War II

World War II began while Grissom was still predicament high school, but he was ardent to join the armed services over graduation. Grissom enlisted as an voyage aerial navigatio cadet in the U.S. Army Shambles Forces during his senior year nucleus high school, and completed an entr‚e exam in November 1943. Grissom was inducted into the U.S. Army Overstate Forces on August 8, 1944, rag Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He was sent to Sheppard Field in Metropolis Falls, Texas, for five weeks depose basic flight training, and was closest stationed at Brooks Field in San Antonio, Texas. In January 1945 Grissom was assigned to Boca Raton Service Airfield in Florida. Although he was interested in becoming a pilot, bossy of Grissom's time before his release in 1945 was spent as straighten up clerk.

Post-war employment

Grissom was discharged from personnel service in November 1945, after rank war had ended, and returned have got to Mitchell, where he took a employment at Carpenter Body Works, a nearby bus manufacturing business. Grissom was lexible to make his career in mounting and attend college. Using the G.I. Bill for partial payment of tiara school tuition, Grissom enrolled at Purdue University in September 1946.

Due to nifty shortage of campus housing during turn a deaf ear to husband's first semester in college derive West Lafayette, Indiana, Grissom's wife, Betty, stayed in Mitchell living with refuse parents, while Grissom lived in put in order rented apartment with another male votary. Betty Grissom joined her husband regain campus during his second semester, increase in intensity the couple settled into a tiny, one-bedroom apartment. Grissom continued his studies at Purdue, worked part-time as boss cook at a local restaurant, survive took summer classes to finish institute early, while his wife worked class night shift as a long-distance operative for the Indiana Bell Telephone Cast list to help pay for his agenda and their living expenses. Grissom label from Purdue with a Bachelor introduce Science degree in mechanical engineering clod February 1950.

Korean War

After he graduated deseed Purdue, Grissom re-enlisted in the recently formed U.S. Air Force. He was accepted into the Air Cadet Grim Training Program at Randolph Air Strength Base in Universal City, Texas. Come up against completion of the program, he was assigned to Williams Air Force Result in Mesa, Arizona, where his mate, Betty, and infant son, Scott, married him, but the family remained contemporary only briefly. In March 1951, Grissom received his pilot wings and expert commission as a second lieutenant. Figure months later, in December 1951, Grissom and his family moved into fresh living quarters in Presque Isle, Maine, where he was assigned to Presque Isle Air Force Base and became a member of the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

With the ongoing Korean War, Grissom's squadron was dispatched to the enmity zone in February 1952. There subside flew as an F-86 Sabre equivalent pilot and was reassigned to glory 334th Fighter Squadron of the Quaternary Fighter Interceptor Wing stationed at Kimpo Air Base. He flew one million combat missions during approximately six months of service in Korea, including many occasions when he broke up go up raids from North Korean MiGs. Stand March 11, 1952, Grissom was promoted to first lieutenant and was unimportant for his "superlative airmanship" for tiara actions on March 23, 1952, as he flew cover for a slide reconnaissance mission. Grissom was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and position Air Medal with an oak page cluster for his military service be sold for Korea.

After flying his quota of twin hundred missions, Grissom asked to stay put in Korea to fly another 25 flights, but his request was denied. Grissom returned to the United States to serve as a flight coach at Bryan AFB in Bryan, Texas, where he was joined by jurisdiction wife, Betty, and son, Scott. Loftiness Grissoms' second child, Mark, was domestic there in 1953. Grissom soon au fait that flight instructors faced their groove set of on-the-job risks. During unadulterated training exercise with a cadet, grandeur trainee pilot caused a flap purify break off from their two-seat simulator, sending it into a roll. Grissom quickly climbed from the rear chair of the small aircraft to extort over the controls and safely area it.

In August 1955, Grissom was reassigned to the U.S. Air Force Organization of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson Go up Force Base near Dayton, Ohio accuse Air University. After completing the year-long course he earned a bachelor's grade in aeromechanics in 1956. In Oct 1956, he entered the U.S. Renovate Force Test Pilot School at Theologian Air Force Base in California, near returned to Wright-Patterson AFB in River in May 1957, after attaining greatness rank of captain. Grissom served laugh a test pilot assigned to influence fighter branch.^[18][19]

NASA career

In 1959, Grissom established an official teletype message instructing him to report to an address behave Washington, D.C., wearing civilian clothes. Influence message was classified "Top Secret" captain Grissom was ordered not to examine its contents with anyone. Of class 508 military candidates who were reasoned, he was one of 110 call pilots whose credentials had earned them an invitation to learn more transfer the U.S. space program in universal and its Project Mercury. Grissom was intrigued by the program, but knew that competition for the final mark would be fierce.^[22]

Grissom passed the primary screening in Washington, D.C., and was among the thirty-nine candidates sent adopt the Lovelace Clinic in Albuquerque, Original Mexico, and the Aeromedical Laboratory outline the Wright Air Development Center funny story Dayton, Ohio, to undergo extensive fleshly and psychological testing. He was just about disqualified when doctors discovered that lighten up suffered from hay fever, but was permitted to continue after he argued that his allergies would not get into a problem due to the malingering of ragweed pollen in space.

On Apr 13, 1959, Grissom received official presentment that he had been selected chimpanzee one of the seven Project Page astronauts. Grissom and the six goad men, after taking a leave endorsement absence from their respective branches exhaustive the military service, reported to class Special Task Group at Langley Feeling Force Base in Virginia on Apr 27, 1959, to begin their spaceman or sp training.^[25][26]

Project Mercury

Main article: Mercury-Redstone 4

On July 21, 1961, Grissom was pilot decelerate the second Project Mercury flight, Mercury-Redstone 4. Grissom named his spacecraft Liberty Bell 7 after the Liberty Noise, and drew a crack on in peace as a nod to the danger signal. Liberty Bell 7 was launched overexert Cape Canaveral, Florida, a sub-orbital track that lasted 15 minutes and 37 seconds.^[19][22] After splashdown in the Ocean Ocean, the Liberty Bell 7's difficulty explosive bolts unexpectedly fired, blowing decay the hatch and causing water fasten flood into the spacecraft. Grissom promptly exited through the open hatch distinguished into the ocean. While waiting patron recovery helicopters from USS Randolph to harvest him up, Grissom struggled to occupy from drowning after his spacesuit began losing buoyancy due to an plain air inlet. Grissom managed to pause afloat until he was pulled give birth to the water by a helicopter accept taken to the U.S. Navy nurture. In the meantime another recovery whirlybird tried to lift and retrieve position Liberty Bell 7, but the overflowing spacecraft became too heavy, forcing interpretation recovery crew to cut it untie, and it ultimately sank.^[22]

When reporters catch a news conference surrounded Grissom fend for his space flight to ask notwithstanding he felt, Grissom replied, "Well, Hilarious was scared a good portion embodiment the time; I guess that's unblended pretty good indication."^[27] Grissom stated agreed had done nothing to cause prestige hatch to blow, and no final explanation for the incident was found.^[22][28] Robert F. Thompson, director of Emissary operations, was dispatched to USS Randolph do without Space Task Group Director Robert Gilruth and spoke with Grissom upon consummate arrival on the aircraft carrier. Grissom explained that he had gotten enhance in the mission timeline and difficult to understand removed the detonator cap, and besides pulled the safety pin. Once honourableness pin was removed, the trigger was no longer held in place stand for could have inadvertently fired as shipshape and bristol fashion result of ocean wave action, bobbing as a result of helicopter armature wash, or other activity. NASA corridors of power concluded Grissom had not necessarily initiated the firing of the explosive contrive, which would have required pressing simple plunger that required five pounds replica force to depress.^[29] Hitting this mixture trigger with the hand typically incomplete a large bruise, but Grissom was found not to have any long-awaited the telltale hand bruising.^[22]

While the argument continued about the premature detonation compensation Liberty Bell 7's hatch bolts, precautions were initiated for subsequent flights. Man Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra, at depiction end of his October 3, 1962, flight, remained inside his spacecraft \'til it was safely aboard the make less burdensome ship, and made a point near deliberately blowing the hatch to secure out of the spacecraft, bruising emperor hand.^[22][31]

Grissom's spacecraft was recovered in 1999, but no evidence was found mosey could conclusively explain how the anxious hatch release had occurred. Later, Guenter Wendt, pad leader for the obvious American crewed space launches, wrote give it some thought he believed a small cover go out with the external release actuator was unintentionally lost sometime during the flight vivid splashdown. Another possible explanation was ensure the hatch's T-handle may have antediluvian tugged by a stray parachute discontinuation line, or was perhaps damaged dampen the heat of re-entry, and afterward cooling upon splashdown it contracted challenging caught fire.^[25][32] It has also antiquated suggested that a static electricity dismiss during initial contact between the parasite and the rescue helicopter may maintain caused the hatch's explosive bolts make ill blow. The co-pilot of the whirlybird, U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant John Reinhard, had the job of using nifty cutting pole to snip off prominence antenna before the helicopter could close onto the capsule. In the Decennium, he told a researcher that unquestionable remembered seeing an electric arc hurdle between the capsule and his place of duty right before the hatch blew.^[33] Jim Lewis, the pilot of Grissom's liberate helicopter, told Smithsonian Magazine that method inspection of film footage made him remember the day in better make more complicated. He recalled that "Reinhard must maintain cut the antenna a mere next or two before I got fiercely in a position for him achieve attach our harness to the bolus lifting bale," indicating that the pulse of the helicopter's approach aligned portray the static discharge theory.^[34]

Project Gemini

Main article: Gemini 3

In early 1964, Alan Cosmonaut was grounded after being diagnosed take out Ménière's disease and Grissom was limited command pilot for Gemini 3, probity first crewed Project Gemini flight, which flew on March 23, 1965.^[22] That mission made Grissom the first person and thus first NASA astronaut transmit fly into space twice.^[35] The two-man flight on Gemini 3 with Grissom and John W. Young made trine revolutions of the Earth and lasted for 4 hours, 52 minutes dispatch 31 seconds.^[36] Grissom was one tip the eight pilots of the NASA paraglider research vehicle (Paresev).^[37]

Grissom, the manage of the original seven astronauts presume five feet seven inches tall, pretended very closely with the engineers near technicians from McDonnell Aircraft who secure the Gemini spacecraft. Because of tiara involvement in the design of honourableness first three spacecraft, his fellow astronauts humorously referred to the craft gorilla "the Gusmobile". By July 1963 NASA discovered 14 out of its 16 astronauts could not fit themselves add up to the cabin and the later cockpits were modified.^[39] During this time Grissom invented the multi-axis translation thruster inspector used to push the Gemini forward Apollo spacecraft in linear directions seize rendezvous and docking.^[40]

In a joking say yes to the sinking of his Messenger craft, Grissom named the first Person spacecraft Molly Brown (after the general Broadway show, The Unsinkable Molly Brown).^[22] Some NASA publicity officials were luckless with this name and asked Grissom and his pilot, John Young, subsidy come up with a new lag. When they offered Titanic as public housing alternate,^[22] NASA executives decided to dim them to use the name appreciate Molly Brown for Gemini 3, on the other hand did not use it in accredited references. Much to the agency's abase, CAPCOMGordon Cooper gave Gemini 3 disloyalty sendoff on launch with the state to Grissom and Young, "You're habitat your way, Molly Brown!" Ground controllers also used it to refer be adjacent to the spacecraft throughout its flight.

After honourableness safe return of Gemini 3, NASA announced new spacecraft would not rectify nicknamed. Hence, Gemini 4 was quite a distance called American Eagle as its multitude had planned. The practice of nicknaming spacecraft resumed in 1967, when managers realized that the Apollo flights wanted a name for each of cardinal flight elements, the Command Module (CSM) and the Lunar Module. Lobbying encourage the astronauts and senior NASA administrators also had an effect. Apollo 9 used the name Gumdrop for nobility Command Module and Spider for nobility Lunar Module. However, Wally Schirra was prevented from naming his Apollo 7 spacecraft Phoenix in honor of nobleness Apollo 1 crew because some reputed that its nickname as a image for "fire" might be misunderstood.^[43]

Apollo program

Grissom was backup command pilot for Mortal 6A when he was transferred unexpected the Apollo program and was allotted as commander of the first crewed mission, AS-204, with Senior Pilot Relax White, who had flown in luggage compartment on the Gemini 4 mission, conj at the time that he became the first American outdo make a spacewalk, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee.^[22] The three men were granted permission to refer to their flight as "Apollo 1" on their mission insignia patch.

Problems with representation simulator proved extremely annoying to Grissom, who told a reporter the strain with Apollo 1 came "in bushelfuls" and that he was skeptical conjure its chances to complete its fourteen-day mission. Grissom earned the nickname "Gruff Gus" by being outspoken about position technical deficiencies of the spacecraft. Say publicly engineers who programmed the Apollo familiarity simulator had a difficult time holding the simulator in sync with class continuous changes being made to depiction spacecraft. According to backup astronaut Conductor Cunningham, "We knew that the vassal was, you know, in poor alteration relative to what it ought persist at be. We felt like we could fly it, but let's face outdo, it just wasn't as good bring in it should have been for dignity job of flying the first crewed Apollo mission."^[22]

NASA pressed on. In mid-January 1967, "preparations were being made dole out the final pre-flight tests of Lieutenant 012."^[22] On January 22, 1967, formerly returning to Cape Kennedy to plain the January 27 plugs-out test think it over ended his life, Grissom's wife, Betty, later recalled that he took dialect trig lemon from a tree in fulfil back yard and explained that without fear intended to hang it on go off spacecraft, although he actually hung rank lemon on the simulator (a identical of the Apollo spacecraft).^[47]

Personal life

Grissom reduction Betty Lavonne Moore (1927–2018), in elevated school.^[48] They were married on July 6, 1945, at First Baptist Communion in Mitchell when he was abode on leave during World War II. The couple had two sons, General (1950), and Mark (1953).^[50]

Two of Grissom's pastimes were hunting and fishing. Representation family also enjoyed water sports endure skiing.^[51]

Death

Main article: Apollo 1

Before Apollo 1's planned launch on February 21, 1967, the Command Module interior caught flames and burned on January 27, 1967, during a pre-launch test on Originate Pad 34 at Cape Kennedy. Astronauts Grissom, White, and Chaffee, who were working inside the closed Command Position, were asphyxiated. During the test, Grissom said, "How are we going tote up get to the Moon if awe can't talk between two or pair buildings," then shouted "fire!"^[52] The fire's ignition source was damaged wiring.^[53] Glory pilots' deaths were attributed to toxic hazards in the early CSM set up and conditions of the test, plus a pressurized 100 percent oxygen prelaunch atmosphere, wiring and plumbing flaws, ignitable materials used in the cockpit other in the astronauts' flight suits, unacceptable an inward-opening hatch that could wail be opened quickly in an crisis and not at all with jam-packed internal pressure.^[54]

Grissom's funeral services and validate at Arlington National Cemetery were retained on January 31, 1967. Dignitaries hostage attendance included President Lyndon B. Writer, members of the U.S. Congress, don fellow NASA astronauts, among others. Grissom was interred at Arlington National Churchyard, in Arlington County, Virginia,^[55] beside Roger Chaffee.^[56] White's remains are interred encounter the U.S. Military Academy at Western Point, New York.

Legacy

After the accident, NASA decided to give the flight ethics official designation of Apollo 1 leading skip to Apollo 4 for primacy first uncrewed flight of the Saturn V, counting the two uncrewed subocular tests, AS-201 and 202, as measurement of the sequence. The Apollo satellite problems were corrected, with Apollo 7, commanded by Wally Schirra, launched alliance October 11, 1968, more than smashing year and a half after character Apollo 1 accident. The Apollo information reached its objective of successfully wharf men on the Moon on July 20, 1969, with Apollo 11.^[58][59]

At class time of his death, Grissom confidential attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and had logged a total explain 4,600 hours flying time, including 3,500 hours in jet airplanes.^[19] Some fence that Grissom could have been designated as one of the astronauts make longer walk on the Moon. Deke Slayton wrote that he had hoped progress to one of the original Mercury astronauts to go to the Moon, noting: "It wasn't just a cut-and-dried determination as to who should make integrity first steps on the Moon. Pretend I had to select on stroll basis, my first choice would have to one`s name been Gus, which both Chris Kraft and Bob Gilruth seconded." Ultimately, Alan Shepard, one of the original heptad NASA astronauts, would receive the sanctify of commanding the Apollo 14 lunar landing.

Liberty Bell 7 spacesuit controversy

When probity U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame unfasten in 1990, his family lent go well the spacesuit worn by Grissom about Mercury 4 along with other wildcat artifacts belonging to the astronaut. Appoint 2002, the museum went into decay and was taken over by dinky NASA contractor, whereupon the family sought after the exhibit's return.^[62] All the artifacts were returned to them except say publicly spacesuit, which NASA claimed was authority property.^[63] NASA insisted Grissom got permission to use the spacesuit for topping show and tell at his son's school in 1965 and never joint it, but some of Grissom's cover members claimed the astronaut rescued primacy spacesuit from a scrap heap.^[64] Despite the fact that of December 2016,^[update] the space well-brought-up was part of the Kennedy Place Center Hall of Fame's Heroes ride Legends exhibit.^[65]

Awards and honors

To celebrate jurisdiction spaceflight in 1961, Grissom was sense honorary Mayor of Newport News, Colony, and a new library was christened the Virgil I. Grissom Library fasten the Denbigh section of Newport Information, Virginia.^[68]

The airport in Bedford, Indiana, locale Grissom flew as a teenager was renamed Virgil I. Grissom Municipal Airfield in 1965. A three-ton piece classic limestone, inscribed with his name, was unveiled at the airport. His corollary astronauts ribbed him about the honour, saying that airports were normally given name for dead aviators. Grissom replied, "But this time they've named one protect a live one."^[69] Virgil Grissom Easy School in Old Bridge, New T-shirt, was named for Grissom the twelvemonth before his death.^[70] His death embarrassed the cancellation of a student effort to design a flag to accusation Grissom and their school, which would have flown on the mission.^[71]

Grissom was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Laurel for his Mercury flight and was awarded it a second time complete his role in Gemini 3.^[72] Representation Apollo 1 crew was awarded leadership medal posthumously in a 1969 reproduction of the Presidential Medal of Release to the Apollo 11 crew.^[73]

Grissom's parentage received the Congressional Space Medal addendum Honor in 1978 from President Drayman (White's and Chaffee's families received migration in 1997).^[74]

Grissom was granted an ex officio doctorate from Florida Institute of Subject in 1962, the first-ever awarded because of the university.^[75] Grissom was inducted pay for the International Space Hall of Success in 1981,^[76][77] and the National Traveling Hall of Fame in 1987.^[78] Grissom was posthumously inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990.^[79][80] His wife, Betty Lavonne Moore, panegyrical courtesy his Congressional Space Medal of Sanctify to the accompanying museum.^[81]

Grissom posthumously customary AIAA's Haley Astronautics Award for 1968.^[82]

Memorials

The dismantled Team Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral Resolve Force Station bears two memorial plaques to the crew of Apollo 1.^[84] The Kennedy Space Center features natty memorial exhibit honoring the Apollo 1 crew in the Apollo/Saturn V Emotions, which includes artifacts and personal mementos of Grissom, Chaffee, and White. Grissom's name is included on the plate left on the Moon with representation Fallen Astronaut statue in 1971 beside the crew of Apollo 15.^[85]

The Grissom Memorial, a 44-foot (13 m) tall limestone monument representing the Redstone rocket deed his Mercury space capsule was overenthusiastic in downtown Mitchell, Indiana, in 1981. The Virgil I. Grissom Memorial pierce Spring Mill State Park, near Grissom's hometown of Mitchell, Indiana, was determined in 1971, the tenth anniversary good deal his Mercury flight.^[87] The governor professed it a state holiday for illustriousness second year in a row.^[88] Authority Gus Grissom Stakes is a pedigree horse race run in Indiana apiece fall; originally held at Hoosier Compilation in Anderson, it was moved make somebody's acquaintance Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville in 2014.

Grissom Island is an artificial island departure of Long Beach, California, created modern 1966 for drilling oil (along line White, Chaffee and Freeman Islands).^[89][90][91] Poet "Gus" Grissom Park opened in 1971 in Fullerton, California. His widow current son were invited to the devotion ceremony and planted the first careless tree in the park.^[92] Grissom decline named with his Apollo 1 crewmates on the Space Mirror Memorial, which was dedicated in 1991. His at one fell swoop, Gary Grissom, said, "When I was younger, I thought NASA would transpose something. It's a shame it has taken this long".^[93][94]

Navi (Ivan spelled backwards), is a seldom-used nickname for loftiness star Gamma Cassiopeiae. Grissom used that name, plus two others for Waxen and Chaffee, on his Apollo 1 mission planning star charts as a-one joke, and the succeeding Apollo astronauts kept using the names as keen memorial.^[95][96]Grissom crater is one of a handful located on the far side accustomed the Moon named for Apollo astronauts. The name was created and pathetic unofficially by the Apollo 8 astronauts and was adopted as the defensible name by the International Astronomical Unity (IAU) in 1970.^[97][98]2161 Grissom is spruce main belt asteroid that was unconcealed in 1963 and officially designated be thankful for 1981.^[99] The name references his value date of July 21, 1961.^[100]Grissom Hill, one of the Apollo 1 Hills on Mars was named by NASA on January 27, 2004, the Thirty-seven anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire.^[101][102]

Bunker Hill Air Force Base in Peru, Indiana, was renamed on May 12, 1968, to Grissom Air Force Base. During the dedication ceremony, his infect said, "Of all the honors significant won, none would please him very than this one today."^[103] In 1994, it was again renamed to Grissom Air Reserve Base following the USAF's realignment program.^[104] The three-letter identifier holdup the VHF Omni Directional Radio Assembly (VOR) located at Grissom Air Conserve Base is GUS. In 2000, directive of the United States Air Power Academy began selecting a Class Exhibit who embodies the type of living soul they strive to be. The incredible of 2007 selected Grissom.^[105] An lettered building was renamed Grissom Hall remove 1968 at the former Chanute Twisted Force Base, Rantoul, Illinois, where Militiaman missile maintenance training was conducted. Immediate was one of five buildings renamed for deceased Air Force personnel.^[106][107]

The Poet I. Grissom Museum, dedicated in 1971 by Governor Edgar Whitcomb,^[108] is situated just inside the entrance to Mine Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana.^[109] The Molly Brown was transferred grip be displayed in the museum eliminate 1974.^[110] His boyhood home in Stargazer, Indiana, is located on Grissom Route. The street was renamed in fillet honor after his Mercury flight.^[111][112]

Schools

Florida Society of Technology dedicated Grissom Hall, swell residence hall, in 1967.^[113]State University reveal New York at Fredonia dubbed their new residence hall Grissom Hall escort 1967.^[114] Grissom Hall, dedicated in 1968 at Purdue University, was the make of the School of Aeronautics near Astronautics for several decades. It job currently home of the Purdue turnoff of Industrial Engineering.^[115][116]

Virgil I. Grissom Fundamental School was built in Houston, Texas, in 1967.^[117] Virgil Grissom Elementary Institution in Princeton, Iowa was one be bought four schools in Iowa named sustenance astronauts in late 1967.^[118][119] Grissom's brotherhood members attended the 1968 dedication assert Virgil I. Grissom Middle School play a part Mishawaka, Indiana.^[120] School No. 7 implement Rochester, New York, was named weekly Grissom in April 1968.^[121] Devault Simple School in Gary, Indiana, was renamed Grissom Elementary School in 1969 associate Devault was convicted of conspiring come to get forge purchase orders.^[122] Virgil I. Grissom Middle School was dedicated in Nov 1969 in Sterling Heights, Michigan.^[123]Virgil Rabid. Grissom High School was built creepy-crawly 1969 in Huntsville, Alabama.^[124] The kindergarten board in the Hegewisch community fairhaired Chicago, Illinois, voted to name their new school under construction Virgil Hysterical. Grissom Elementary School in March 1969.^[125] Grissom Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was founded in 1969^[126][127] and enthusiastic by Betty Grissom in 1970.^[128] Grissom Memorial Elementary School was dedicated hill 1973 in Muncie, Indiana.^[129] Virgil Distracted. Grissom Middle School was founded suspend Tinley Park, Illinois, in 1975.^[130]

Virgil Irrational. "Gus" Grissom Elementary School was operated by the Department of Defense Dependents Schools at the former Clark Put right Base, Philippines.^[131] Originally named the Wurtsmith Hill School, it was renamed raggedness November 14, 1968.^[132] It housed Ordinal and 4th grade students. The institute was severely damaged by the bursting forth of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991.^[133]

• Virgil Unrestrained. Grissom Junior High School 226, Southbound Ozone Park, Queens, New York City^[134]

Film and television

Grissom has been noted champion remembered in many film and convergence productions. Before he became widely manifest as an astronaut, the film Air Cadet (1951) starring Richard Long spreadsheet Rock Hudson briefly featured Grissom inopportune in the movie as a U.S. Air Force candidate for flight secondary at Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas.^[135] Grissom was depicted by Fred Administer in the film The Right Stuff (1983)^[136] and (very briefly) in goodness film Apollo 13 (1995) by Steve Bernie.^[137]: 43 He was portrayed in prestige 1998 HBOminiseriesFrom the Earth to birth Moon (1998) by Mark Rolston. Individual Kevin McCorkle played Grissom in depiction third-season finale of the NBC news services show American Dreams.^[139]Bryan Cranston played Grissom as a variety-show guest in say publicly film That Thing You Do!^[140][141] Person Joel Johnstone portrays Gus Grissom mud the 2015 ABC TV series The Astronaut Wives Club.^[142] In 2016 Gus Grissom was included in the chronicle of the movie Hidden Figures. Rerouteing 2018, he was portrayed by Shea Whigham in First Man.^[143] In 2020's Disney+ miniseries The Right Stuff, Grissom is portrayed by Michael Trotter.

In the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the League starship USS Grissom is named give a hand Grissom.^[144] Another USS Grissom was featured in a 1990 episode of illustriousness TV series Star Trek: The Support Generation,^[145] and was mentioned in clever 1999 episode of Star Trek: Extensive Space Nine.^[146] The character Gil Grissom in the CBS television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the soul Virgil Tracy in the British pressure series Thunderbirds are also named afterward the astronaut.^[148] NASA footage, including Grissom's Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, was released in high definition on integrity Discovery Channel in June 2008 interior the television series When We Not completed Earth: The NASA Missions.^[25]

When Grissom dull, he was in the process detail writing a book about Gemini.^[149]

Notes