The Cygnus OA-6 spacecraft currently in free flight in Low Earth Orbit will support an unprecedented microgravity combustion study on Tuesday involving the largest man-made fire ever lit in a spacecraft. SAFFIRE-I, the first in a three-part Spaceflight Fire Experiment, will ignite a 0.4 by 1-meter sheet of cotton-fiberglass blend with a suite of sensors and cameras in place to study flame growth, temperatures and oxygen use in a large-scale fire not under the influence of gravity.
Here is a look at previous fire experiments performed in space.
Two candle flame images taken as part of the Burning and Suppression of Solids experiment aboard ISS with air flow from bottom to top, compared with how a flame appears on Earth. – Credit: NASA
Burning and Suppression of Solids (BASS) studies that examine how the microgravity environment affects the burning process and suppression characteristics of solid fuels. These tests provide data that will help develop strategies for extinguishing fires in microgravity and on long duration missions. Also, fire detection systems will be improved, both – on Earth and in Space. Experiment runs document the burning process of the different fuels and several other properties connected to burning solids with fire suppression provided by nitrogen gas. – Credit: NASA
BASS – Credit: NASA
BASS II Ignition Sequence – Credit: NASA
Solid Fuel Burning in Microgravity – Credit: NASA
FLEX-2 – FLame Extinguishment Experiment 2 – monitors the burning process of small fuel droplets to study the unique characteristics of fire in microgravity. The experiments looks at the rate and manner the fuel burns and the conditions that are necessary for soot to form. Also, the mechanisms of fuel evaporation before burning are studied to provide a better understanding of the burning process in space for improvements in liquid-fueled engines for application in space flight. – Credit: NASA
Liquid Droplet Burning in Space – Credit: NASA
Liquid Droplet Burning in Space – Credit: NASA
Photos & Computer Simulation Overlay of Flame transitioning from 1G to Microgravity – Credit: NASA
