NASA Experiments with Fire in Space
Final destination... space! An unmanned rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral last week, bound for the International Space Station.
It was loaded with supplies for the station, but it won't be returning to earth. Instead, the craft will be deliberately set on fire. NASA wants to see what happens when a large-scale fire erupts inside a space capsule in a zero-gravity environment. Scientists will be measuring the size of the flames, how quickly they spread, and how much heat and gas is emitted.
The fire will be triggered by igniting trash on board the rocket once it undocks and has moved away from the station. NASA hopes the experiment will help them better determine how much fire-resistant material is needed in spacecraft and astronaut gear.
Diagram: Lockheed Martin, Anatomy of an Atlas Rocket
Lesson Plan: Discovery Education, Life In Space: International Space Station
Video: PBS LearningMedia: Living and Working in Sapce
Online Interactive Website: NASA, Welcome to Mars Trek
Classroom Resources: Brain Pop, Mars
Website: NASA, Mars Exploration
Website Article: NASA Science News, Strange Flames on the ISS
Video: YouTube, Coconut Science Lab, Space Station Experiment Studies Fire In Space