Fire safety in spacecraft has been a concern ever since astronauts started flying inside of them. There have been several “fire events” and a couple of real fires in NASA’s history, and those have paved the way for improvements in fire prevention and fire response equipment and procedures.
How can we learn how to prevent and respond to fires before learning the hard way? Operations in low-Earth orbit in space shuttles and the International Space Station offer a quick return to Earth if absolutely necessary. NASA’s focus on missions beyond low-Earth orbit and the development of lunar landers and habitats raises new risks and challenges for fire safety.
Science Café Cleveland will host a discussion on the topic, titled “What Do You Do If There Is a Fire in Your Spacecraft? (And How to Prevent Them),” Monday, July 13, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom.
NASA Glenn Research Center’s Gary Ruff will review what is being done to address fires in the habitats and habitable volume of exploration spacecraft.
Get the Zoom information through Facebook, or email sciencecafecleveland@case.edu.