Gus Grissom was blunt about the spacecraft’s flaws. Thomas Baron, a quality inspector who wrote a long report on sloppy work at North American Aviation, died with his family in a crash at a railroad crossing about a week after his charges were aired before a House subcommittee. North American rejected most of his report, though some company officials later told Congress that about half of his charges were well-grounded. [1]
Grissom’s widow Betty sued the contractor and won a settlement, against the wishes of some at NASA. [2] In 1999 their son Scott said he had found a metal piece that could have been used to short a circuit on purpose. [3]
Put together, the theory runs: a critic of a rushed program died, a whistleblower died, and the family itself suspected foul play.
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