Spacecraft Fire Safety
Home Page
Since the beginning
of the manned space flight program, NASA engineers
and scientists have gone to great lengths to prevent
fires on spacecraft. Because a fire on a spacecraft
could have dire consequences, fire detection and
suppression systems have been designed to respond
quickly and effectively to a fire. In most cases,
these systems have been adapted from proven, Earth-based,
fire-safety systems.
 |
| An artist's drawing of
what a future spacecraft might look like leaving
Earth en route to the Moon or Mars. |
However, microgravity
combustion experiments performed over the last 20
years have shown that fire behaves differently in
space. (The "Key
Features of Fire Behavior in Microgravity" table
lists some of the differences that have been discovered
during microgravity combustion
science experiments at NASA Glenn.) This
means that fire-safety systems based on the characteristics
of Earth-based fires might not work as expected in
the micro- and low-gravity environments of space.
The Future
of Fire Protection In Space
The ultimate goal
of the Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression
(FPDS) program at NASA-Glenn is to protect crew health
and enhance safety on exploration missions in space.
The FPDS program provides the framework for acquiring
useful knowledge and developing technology that delivers products to
improve the fire safety of spacecraft and space-based
habitats.
Research
Areas
The research necessary
to improve fire safety is divided into four main
areas:
- Fire prevention and material
flammability
- Fire signatures and detection
- Fire suppression and response
- Fire scenarios
and training
Products
The FPDS products,
which were identified through a series of spacecraft
fire safety workshops in 2001, 2003, and 2004, include:
- Hardware
- Design requirements
- Data for trade studies
- Test procedures
- Data libraries
- Recommendations for fire
response procedures
Scientists and researchers
in the FPDS program will identify and quantify the
differences between fires, materials, and fire safety
technologies on Earth and in space. This understanding
will lead to products that can be used by NASA spacecraft
and habitat designers to create a healthy and safe
working environment for our astronauts.
Contact Information
Project Scientist:
Dr.
Gary A. Ruff
NASA Glenn Research Center
Cleveland, OH 44135
and Accessibility Certification