- NASA will set an unmanned spacecraft on fire in outer space during an experiment
- The experiment is called Spacecraft Fire Experiment or Saffire
- Saffire is crucial for the safety of current and future space missions
The National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) will deliberately set an unmanned spacecraft on fire in order to observe and study how flames can spread in outer space.
Gary Ruff, one of the engineers heading the experiment at the US space agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, said the goal of the experiment is to measure the size of the flames, how quickly they spread, the heat output and how much gas is emitted.
Understanding how the flames spread in a microgravity environment is vital for the safety of current and future space missions.
NASA will conduct three experiments called Saffire-I, Saffire-II and Saffire -III (Spacecraft Fire Experiment) that will be launched aboard an unmanned resupply spacecraft called Orbital ATK Cygnus capsule.
RT News said in an article it published on March 16, 2016 that NASA announced Saffire-I is set to take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on March 22.
The Orbital ATK Cygnus capsule will unload supplies, like food and water, to the International Space Station (ISS) and then astronauts will load trash and other flammable materials from the space station inside the resupply vehicle.
Once the Cygnus capsule has undocked and moved away a significant distance from the ISS, the ground control will ignite a box of cotton fiberglass inside the capsule that will start the fire.
Ruff said the experiments seek to answer two questions: “Will an upward spreading flame continue to grow or will microgravity limit the size?” and “What fabrics and materials will catch fire and how will they burn?”
Special sensors and cameras will record the experiment. The data and information that will be gathered will help NASA develop better materials and technologies “to reduce crew risk and increase space flight safety.”
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