Flame in Freefall

§ 08 SpaceFire Evolution

SpaceFire Evolution

The spacecraft fires behind today’s fire safety rules, the firefighting gear that came out of spaceflight, and NASA’s guide to combustion research on the ISS. All seven pages are listed on the challenge’s Resources tab ↗.

Note
Each entry gives the official title and link, the challenge’s own note on it, and short excerpts quoted word for word from the linked NASA page. These pages are background; they hold no PSI test data and are not used in rankings.

ILessons from Spacecraft Fires

  1. 1967sma.nasa.gov

    Apollo 1 (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance · Jan. 27, 1967

    Challenge resources tabInformation about the crew mission, fire that erupted during a pre-launch test killing the crew, investigation, and lessons learned.

    The fire
    The astronauts would be wearing spacesuits with the spacecraft’s hatches closed and the cabin pressurized with 100% oxygen. During the test, a flash fire swept through the spacecraft so quickly, there was no time to open the hatches. Apollo 1, page text ↗
    Lessons learned
    Additionally, NASA severely restricted and controlled the number of combustible materials in the spacecraft and made those changes in the Lunar Module as well. As another safeguard, the agency designed new spacesuits using fire-resistant materials. Apollo 1, page text ↗
  2. 1970sma.nasa.gov

    Apollo 13 (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance · 1970

    Challenge resources tabInformation about the crew, mission, oxygen tank explosion that occurred during the flight to the Moon, investigation, and lessons learned.

    The accident
    Things went smoothly until the third day of the mission when, after finishing a 49-minute TV broadcast showing the conditions on board the spacecraft, oxygen tank number two blew up, leading to the subsequent failure of tank number one. Apollo 13, page text ↗
    Lessons learned
    the Review Board’s recommendations, which included the redesign and recertification of the Service Module oxygen storage system and a thorough review by NASA of all Apollo systems that use cryogenic oxygen. Apollo 13, page text ↗
  3. 1997nasa.gov

    25 Years Ago: Fire Aboard Space Station Mir (opens in a new tab)

    NASA History · Feb. 24, 1997 (article Feb 23, 2022)

    Challenge resources tabBasic information about a fire—caused by an oxygen generator failure—that erupted within the Russian space station Mir in 1997 during joint operations in preparation for the International Space Station (first occupied in 2000).

    The fire
    Shortly after dinner on Feb. 24, as Lazutkin activated a solid-fuel oxygen generator in Mir’s Kvant-1 module, the canister ignited, shooting a three-foot flame with sparks and bits of molten metal across the module and generating a large quantity of dense smoke. 25 Years Ago: Fire Aboard Space Station Mir, page text ↗
    Lessons learned
    The lessons learned from the incident were passed on in the design and operations of the International Space Station. 25 Years Ago: Fire Aboard Space Station Mir, page text ↗

IIDevelopment of Fire Safety Technologies

  1. 1976spinoff.nasa.gov

    Fireman’s Air Tanks (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Spinoff · 1976

    Challenge resources tabBasic information about the 1970s adaptation of spacesuit technology to improve firefighters’ air tanks and breathing gear.

    What NASA Spinoff says
    Together with NASA's Johnson Space Center, A-T-O Inc.'s Scott Aviation has developed light-weight firefighter's air tanks. New backpack system weighs only 20 pounds for 30 minute air supply, 13 pounds less than conventional firefighting tanks. Fireman’s Air Tanks, page text ↗
  2. 1978spinoff.nasa.gov

    Fire Detector (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Spinoff · 1978

    Challenge resources tabBasic information about a 1970s smoke detector developed for the shuttle that, discriminating between smoke and dust, results in less nuisance alarms. As such, it has industrial applications (e.g., in mining operations).

    What NASA Spinoff says
    Fire detector represents an advancement over commercially available smoke detectors in that it senses and signals the presence of a fire condition before appearance of flame and smoke. Fire Detector, page text ↗
  3. 1982spinoff.nasa.gov

    New Technology for the Fire Attire (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Spinoff · 1982

    Challenge resources tabBasic information about a 1980s application of NASA spacesuit technology to improve firefighter clothing.

    What NASA Spinoff says
    A major focus of the effort involves application to the FIRES ensemble of lightweight, fire-resistant, heat-protective materials originally developed for use in astronauts' space suits or in spacecraft components which require thermal protection. New Technology for the Fire Attire, page text ↗

IIIGuideline

  1. 2015nasa.gov

    A Researcher’s Guide to International Space Station Combustion Science (opens in a new tab)

    NASA Space Station Research Integration Office · October 2015 Edition

    Challenge resources tabA 2015 review of NASA’s combustion research conducted on, or planned for, the International Space Station. Basic information about most of the combustion investigations described in this 50+ page document is found within the PSI Data Repository.

    What the guide covers
    This Researcher’s Guide provides an overview of combustion science research, including past research, lessons learned, opportunities for future research and introductory information on funding opportunities. A Researcher’s Guide to International Space Station Combustion Science, page text ↗

    Browse the PSI investigations in the Explorer →