Fire on the Moon? NASA plans to conduct fire experiments on Earth’s natural satellite soon

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has already recruited experts to conduct fire experiments on a special cargo vehicle aboard the International Space Station (ISS). According to David Urban, a fire researcher in the low-gravity reconnaissance technology branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, the agency may soon be able to. Start experimenting with fire on the moon.

According to Urban, the team responsible for the experiments are interested in running tests on a robotic lunar module from NASA’s Artemis program. The leader says the idea is still just a proposal, but Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) hopes to study and test fire safety applications on the robotic moon rover.

Named for the Spacecraft Fire Experiment-VI (Saffire-VI), The experiment consists of burning a sample of polymethylmethacrylate, popularly known as acrylic. Currently, the project leader is conducting experiments on the Northrop Grumman Cygnus, the spacecraft that should be launched on 1 August with an Antares rocket.

“We really need to be on the lunar surface to get long. “We want to increase the oxygen concentration of the spacecraft to get closer to the reconnaissance atmospheres,” Urban said, announcing the new experiment at a press conference.

Experiments with Fire on the Moon

The scenario of the experiment on the space cargo ship will be as follows: after being sent into space, it will dock with the ISS and stay there for about 90 days; Later, It will travel a safe distance from the International Space Station and activate the experiments. The process will be very similar to the other five experiments involving fire carried out in space.

It is crucial for NASA to understand the process of fire flames as they consume the material used in the crew cabins; The goal is to provide a safer environment for astronauts.

Besides, The agency will test a new strategy to put out the fire and ensure there is ample time for the astronauts to be out of danger.. It is important to note that the tests will be carried out on an unmanned cargo ship, so a video will be shot showing how the experiment took place.

NASA also relies on Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinguishing (SoFIE) research on the ISS’s Destiny module to understand fire in space. Unlike the Saffire program, SoFIE scientists can change some other parameters such as fire ignition, oxygen level and pressure, flow rate, among others.

“Like the content? So, stay tuned for other NASA news on TecMundo and use this opportunity to check it out too: 4 facts we learned by observing the Moon.