. Earth Science News .
FIRE STORM
NASA Pursues Burning Desire to Study Fire Safety in Space
by Staff Writers
Cleveland OH (SPX) Mar 18, 2016


A team of scientists and engineers tests the components of Saffire I and Saffire II. Image courtesy NASA.

Engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland have developed a space flight experiment that will increase understanding of how an accidental fire might behave in a spacecraft after it leaves Earth's atmosphere. The first of three planned flight experiments is scheduled for launch in an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo vehicle on March 22 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

"NASA's objective is to reduce the risk of long-duration exploration missions, and a spacecraft fire is one of the biggest concerns for NASA and the international space exploration community," said Jason Crusan, NASA's Advanced Exploration System director.

Working with a team of researchers from 11 U.S. and international government agencies and universities, NASA's Spacecraft Fire Experiment, or Saffire, will be remotely conducted by Saffire and Orbital ATK personnel from the Orbital ATK Control Center in Dulles, Va.

The experiment takes place in a three-by-three-by-five foot tall module carried aboard Cygnus. Once Cygnus arrives at the space station, the module remains aboard the vehicle while supplies for the station are offloaded. The experiment is conducted during the return trip to Earth.

"Gaining a better understanding of how fire behaves in space will help further NASA's efforts in developing better materials and technologies to reduce crew risk and increase space flight safety," said Gary A. Ruff, NASA's Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration project manager.

Each Saffire module is equipped to characterize and document the burning of large materials in a microgravity environment. These samples and the environment are like those found on the space station and the Orion spacecraft that will eventually take astronauts to an asteroid and Mars.

Images and data captured from inside the module will be transmitted to Orbital ATK and relayed to Glenn prior to Cygnus' destructive reentry to Earth. Researchers at Glenn as well as those on the international team will analyze the data and use it to further develop technologies to safeguard future astronauts from a spacecraft fire.

"Saffire will be the biggest man-made fire ever in space. Currently, we can only conduct small combustion experiments in the microgravity environment of the space station. Saffire will allow us to safely burn larger samples of material without added risk to the station or its crew." said Ruff.

"Using the Cygnus cargo vehicle to host Saffire offers a unique opportunity to conduct beneficial spacecraft fire safety research using existing mission profiles."

The first Saffire experiment will assess a large-scale microgravity fire using sample material that is approximately 16 inches wide and 37 inches long.

Two subsequent flight experiments in 2016 consist of Saffire-II, which will assess oxygen flammability limits using samples that are 2 inches wide and 12 inches long; and Saffire-III, which will assess a second large-scale microgravity fire. Each module will be flown aboard an Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo vehicle during a resupply mission to the space station.

The Spacecraft Fire Safety Demonstration Project that developed the Saffire flight systems is sponsored by the Advanced Exploration Systems Division in NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate.

The three Saffire units were built at Glenn using components fabricated in manufacturing facilities at Glenn, NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, N.M. Three additional experiment modules will be designed and built by engineers at Glenn and launched in Orbital ATK cargo vehicles beginning in 2018.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Spacecraft Fire Experiment
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
FIRE STORM
Wildland fire emissions worse in polluted areas
Riverside CA (SPX) Mar 14, 2016
When plant matter burns, it releases a complex mixture of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. In forests subject to air pollution, these emissions may be more toxic than in areas of good air quality, according to a new study by the University of California, Riverside and the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station. The results suggest biomass burning of polluted forest ... read more


FIRE STORM
On patrol with Macedonian troops at Europe's closed gate

Environment behind nearly quarter of global deaths: WHO

Canada gives computers to Syrian refugees

Japan, US, France to team up on Fukushima clean-up: official

FIRE STORM
Outsourcing crystal growth...to space

Unique optical trapping system offers way to launch high-power laser light

First code of conduct for the use of virtual reality established

UA's Space Expertise Seen as Key for US Security

FIRE STORM
Dueling Climate Cycles May Increase Sea Level Swings

Boat mooring chains scour seagrass releasing CO2

Study says marine protected areas can benefit large sharks

Argentinian coast guard sinks Chinese fishing boat

FIRE STORM
Warming ocean water undercuts Antarctic ice shelves

Degrading underground ice could reshape Arctic landscape

NASA tracking the influence of tides on ice shelves in Antarctica

Australian icebreaker home for repairs after Antarctica grounding

FIRE STORM
Fertilizer applied to fields today will pollute water for decades

Network of germ sleuths heads off nearly 276,000 foodborne illnesses a year

Pesticides affect bees' ability to locate flowers, drink nectar

US gives tentative OK to testing genetically modified mosquitoes

FIRE STORM
Pakistan rains leave 42 dead: officials

Japan's tsunami: Five things after five years

Pakistan rains leave 28 dead: officials

Heavy rain kills six in Oman, UAE: media

FIRE STORM
Bank of China gains foothold in Morocco

Nigeria's ex-defence chief raided staff salary funds to buy property, court told

Seven dead in clashes in Africa's oldest wildlife reserve in DR Congo

Three key start-ups from Africa's top science forum

FIRE STORM
400,000-year-old fossils from Spain provide earliest genetic evidence of Neandertals

How the brain detects short sounds

Neanderthal diet: Only 20 percent vegetarian

Early human habitat, recreated for first time, shows life was no picnic









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.