How Does Fire Behave in Microgravity? | International Space Station

How Does Fire Behave in Microgravity? | International Space Station

Fire can be a catastrophic hazard for crewed spacecraft. NASA is developing effective fire suppression techniques critical to ensuring crew safety on future missions. The Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction (SoFIE) Growth and Extinction Limits (GEL) experiment shows a flame appearing to spin itself into extinction within the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Scientists speculate that the flame appears to spin because that is the most effective way for it to consume oxygen. When the flow speed and oxygen concentration get too low, there is not enough oxygen to consume all the available fuel. As a result, a flame can only exist over a portion of the hot fuel causing the flame to appear to chase itself, or spin, around the fuel.

Learn more about the important research being operated on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/iss-science 

For more information about STEM on Station:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM)

Video Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Duration: 46 seconds

Release Date: May 5, 2023

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