NASA said it will test the effects of a large fire in space by setting off a blaze inside an orbiting unmanned space craft.
NASA has set off tiny controlled fires in space in the past, but never tested how large flames react inside a space capsule in space.
This research "is crucial for the safety of current and future space missions," Gary Ruff, one of the engineers heading the experiment at the US space agency's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, said Tuesday.
The goal is to measure the size of the flames, how quickly they spread, the heat output, and how much gas is emitted.
The experiment will be conducted in an Orbital ATK Cygnus capsule after the craft ferries supplies to the International Space Station.
The Cygnus capsule is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop an Atlas 5 rocket on its final mission on March 23.
Once the capsule undocks from the ISS and is far away from the space station, ground control will trigger the fire on board, Ruff said.
The results of this experiment, dubbed Saffire-1, will determine how much fire resistance is needed in the ultra-light material used in the spacecraft and the astronaut's gear.
It will also help NASA build better fire detection and suppression systems for their spaceships, and study how microgravity and limited amounts of oxygen affect the size of the flames.
"Understanding fire in space has been the focus of many experiments over the years," said Ruff.
While many "small, centimeter-sized fires have been lit in space before, to really understand fire, you've got to look at a more realistic size."
Temperature, oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors will record data on the fire, which is expected to last about 20 minutes, in real time. Cameras also will film the material as it burns.
A few days after the blaze, NASA expects the remnants of the Cygnus capsule to plunge towards Earth and disintegrate in the atmosphere.
GMT 10:53 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Apple urged to shield kids from iPhone addictionGMT 10:28 2017 Saturday ,09 December
Bitcoin surges above $16,000 as concerns mountGMT 12:38 2017 Thursday ,02 November
Gulf Craft Continues to Redefine On-Water Lifestyle ExperienceGMT 09:30 2017 Wednesday ,18 October
Is facial recognition the stuff of sci-fi? Not in ChinaGMT 00:01 2017 Thursday ,05 October
This new machine will help boost skills of medic at Oman's College of Medicine and Health SciencesGMT 23:42 2017 Wednesday ,04 October
Robots under Swedish forest breathe life into ancient minesGMT 21:31 2017 Wednesday ,04 October
Russia, Saudi Arabia to set up $1 bln technology fundGMT 18:58 2017 Friday ,29 September
Lockheed Martin unveils reusable water-powered Mars landerMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2023 ©