The sixties, like today, were a turbulent time. America was divided over the war with Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and we were losing the space race with the Russians. Then, in 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered one of the most epic speeches in history, challenging NASA to make it to the moon by the end of the decade. His call-to-action rallied the American people and lit a fire under the space agency, which resulted in Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon in the summer of 1969.

As the famous Latin saying "Ad astra per aspera" foretells, the road to the stars is not easy. But after the huge successes of the Mercury and Gemini programs in the 50s and early 60s, no one expected the maiden Apollo mission to end in tragedy.

On January 27, 1967—exactly 50 years ago today—three astronauts lost their lives when a fire broke out inside their spacecraft as it sat atop a Cape Canaveral launch pad.