April 3, 2009 -- NASA does not have to imagine the consequences of fire in space. As a partner in Russia's Mir space station 12 years ago, the space agency got first-hand experience when a faulty oxygen candle exploded in flames, filling the outpost with thick smoke and blocking half the crew from reaching their lifeboat. "I did not expect smoke to spread so quickly," NASA astronaut Jerry Linenger, who was aboard Mir as part of a U.S.-Russian astronaut exchange program, recalled after his return to Earth. "(It) was about 10 times faster than I would expect a fire to spread on a space station," he said. NASA hopes any future space fires will be safely contained in experiment boxes. But it isn't counting on that. With a new spaceship under development, the agency is investing in next-generation fire-fighting gear that is specially designed to work in microgravity. Related Content:
"In space, fires are like spheres. They're not shaped like what we have on Earth," said James Butz, vice president of operations for Colorado-based ADA Technologies, which last week announced it had received a grant worth nearly $100,000 from NASA to continue work on an extinguisher that coats fires in a fine mist. The technology is one of two NASA is exploring for use aboard its Orion spacecraft, the follow-on program to the space shuttle. The agency plans to retire the shuttle fleet in 2010 and develop capsule-style ships that can travel to and from the moon. "There are mainly three emergencies that we train for -- a fire, a depressurization, or if the atmosphere becomes not livable," said Sandra Magnus, who returned last week from a four-month stay on the International Space Station. "If the situation can't be contained, we basically train to evacuate." Astronauts aboard Orion will not have that luxury. ADA's technology would coat a flame in tiny droplets of mist, much like fog, Butz explained. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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