NASA has set fire to the space ship Cygnus
For the first time in a spacecraft, an experiment was conducted with the ignition of a sample of tissue a meter long.
Cygnus after undocking from the ISS. Photo source: NASA
NASA engineers for the first time conducted an experiment with fire on a spacecraft. The experiment was called the Spacecraft Fire Experiment (Saffire), conducted it inside the spacecraft Cygnus, which on June 14 left the ISS. The purpose of the experiment is to check how the fire will behave under conditions of almost complete weightlessness, outside the earth's atmosphere. Understanding how flames propagate in confined spaces under microgravity is critical. This information is needed for planning manned missions to Mars and deep space. After all, while scientists have little idea what will happen if suddenly there is a fire on the spacecraft. There are theoretical calculations, but in practice, things can go completely differently than experts had supposed.
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"The first of the three planned Saffire experiments went as planned, which is the merit of all NASA employees who participated in this project," said the Saffire manager. “The success of this experiment opens the door to future“ large-fire experiments ”in microgravity, and also gives an insight into what safe materials should be to create a spacecraft for deep space.”
The spacecraft Cygnus docked with the ISS on March 22. The Saffire installation remained on the ship for 81 days, all this time the ISS team unloaded the space "truck". After everything necessary was transferred to the ISS, Cygnus undocked. The ship departed from the station at a safe distance and the experiment began.
The fire was lit in a protected module with a size of 1 * 1 * 1.50 m. In this module a sample of flammable material of size 0.4 * 0.9 m was placed. The fire was lit using a hot wire. Initially, the sample was going to be set on fire on one side, and then on the other, in order to start a fire against the direction of air movement (air flow was provided for supplying oxygen to the source of ignition). The dynamics of the “fire” were videotaped and photographed using cameras mounted on an experimental module.
All this information will be transmitted to Earth 8 days before Cygnus enters the atmosphere of our planet. The device must be completely burned in the atmosphere. Cygnus, like almost all modern cargo spacecraft, is stuffed with debris and burned in the atmosphere with complete destruction of the vehicle. Today there is only one truck that can return cargo from orbit - SpaceX's Dragon. Therefore, in the case of Cygnus will have to rely on the readings of the sensors and cameras.
Researchers from NASA and a number of partner organizations will carefully review the information received over the next few weeks. It is necessary to study both the video of the combustion process and the data received from a number of sensors located inside the module. Data analysis will take some time, after which the agency will tell you about the results.
The Saffire-I module consisted of an ignition chamber with a test sample and a fire control system. The sample is a special material of fiberglass and cotton. The process was controlled from Earth, Dulles, Virginia (USA). Similar experiments have already been carried out, but the largest sample in previous cases was a piece of cloth the size of a credit card.
Two subsequent experiments were called Saffire-II and Saffire-III. In the second experiment, it is planned to study the flammability of the sample material with a size of 0.15 * 0.3 m. In the third, a larger fire will be arranged within the limits of the experimental module. As in the first case, both modules will be loaded onto Cygnus, leaving for the ISS. In the course of these experiments, scientists will remotely set fire to materials that are common to spacecraft. This is a plexiglass from which windows are made, astronaut clothing and others.
Christopher Pestak, a member of the team responsible for conducting the experiment, said that under microgravity conditions, the flame behaves quite differently than on Earth. Accordingly, the methods of extinguishing the "cosmic fire" should be different. The results of the experiment, he said, should help develop new type of materials that will be used to create spacecraft "long-distance".
The circuit of the module where the prototype of the material was ignited. Illustration: NASA
Fire in space has already been encountered . So, on February 23, 1997, at the Mir space station, the oxygen checker ignited the atmospheric regeneration. At the station itself, then 6 people were present, these were members of the 22nd and 23rd expeditions. At the time of the incident, two Soyuz TM ships were docked at the time of the incident, so that all people could be evacuated. But one of the ships was cut off. In addition, because of the fire, the atmosphere at the station was smoky, and the crew had to wear gas masks. After the fire was eliminated, the astronauts had to stay in respirators for some time. As it turned out later, the fire happened due to a defect in the oxygen bomb.
Cygnus after undocking from the ISS. Photo source: NASA
NASA engineers for the first time conducted an experiment with fire on a spacecraft. The experiment was called the Spacecraft Fire Experiment (Saffire), conducted it inside the spacecraft Cygnus, which on June 14 left the ISS. The purpose of the experiment is to check how the fire will behave under conditions of almost complete weightlessness, outside the earth's atmosphere. Understanding how flames propagate in confined spaces under microgravity is critical. This information is needed for planning manned missions to Mars and deep space. After all, while scientists have little idea what will happen if suddenly there is a fire on the spacecraft. There are theoretical calculations, but in practice, things can go completely differently than experts had supposed.
')
"The first of the three planned Saffire experiments went as planned, which is the merit of all NASA employees who participated in this project," said the Saffire manager. “The success of this experiment opens the door to future“ large-fire experiments ”in microgravity, and also gives an insight into what safe materials should be to create a spacecraft for deep space.”
The spacecraft Cygnus docked with the ISS on March 22. The Saffire installation remained on the ship for 81 days, all this time the ISS team unloaded the space "truck". After everything necessary was transferred to the ISS, Cygnus undocked. The ship departed from the station at a safe distance and the experiment began.The fire was lit in a protected module with a size of 1 * 1 * 1.50 m. In this module a sample of flammable material of size 0.4 * 0.9 m was placed. The fire was lit using a hot wire. Initially, the sample was going to be set on fire on one side, and then on the other, in order to start a fire against the direction of air movement (air flow was provided for supplying oxygen to the source of ignition). The dynamics of the “fire” were videotaped and photographed using cameras mounted on an experimental module.
All this information will be transmitted to Earth 8 days before Cygnus enters the atmosphere of our planet. The device must be completely burned in the atmosphere. Cygnus, like almost all modern cargo spacecraft, is stuffed with debris and burned in the atmosphere with complete destruction of the vehicle. Today there is only one truck that can return cargo from orbit - SpaceX's Dragon. Therefore, in the case of Cygnus will have to rely on the readings of the sensors and cameras.
Researchers from NASA and a number of partner organizations will carefully review the information received over the next few weeks. It is necessary to study both the video of the combustion process and the data received from a number of sensors located inside the module. Data analysis will take some time, after which the agency will tell you about the results.
The Saffire-I module consisted of an ignition chamber with a test sample and a fire control system. The sample is a special material of fiberglass and cotton. The process was controlled from Earth, Dulles, Virginia (USA). Similar experiments have already been carried out, but the largest sample in previous cases was a piece of cloth the size of a credit card.
The #Saffire -I sample ignites! Preliminary burned for about 8 minutes. #NASAglenn pic.twitter.com/m4vL0Lid05
- NASA Glenn Research (@NASAglenn) June 16, 2016
Two subsequent experiments were called Saffire-II and Saffire-III. In the second experiment, it is planned to study the flammability of the sample material with a size of 0.15 * 0.3 m. In the third, a larger fire will be arranged within the limits of the experimental module. As in the first case, both modules will be loaded onto Cygnus, leaving for the ISS. In the course of these experiments, scientists will remotely set fire to materials that are common to spacecraft. This is a plexiglass from which windows are made, astronaut clothing and others.
Christopher Pestak, a member of the team responsible for conducting the experiment, said that under microgravity conditions, the flame behaves quite differently than on Earth. Accordingly, the methods of extinguishing the "cosmic fire" should be different. The results of the experiment, he said, should help develop new type of materials that will be used to create spacecraft "long-distance".
The circuit of the module where the prototype of the material was ignited. Illustration: NASA
Fire in space has already been encountered . So, on February 23, 1997, at the Mir space station, the oxygen checker ignited the atmospheric regeneration. At the station itself, then 6 people were present, these were members of the 22nd and 23rd expeditions. At the time of the incident, two Soyuz TM ships were docked at the time of the incident, so that all people could be evacuated. But one of the ships was cut off. In addition, because of the fire, the atmosphere at the station was smoky, and the crew had to wear gas masks. After the fire was eliminated, the astronauts had to stay in respirators for some time. As it turned out later, the fire happened due to a defect in the oxygen bomb.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/395397/
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