What Happens When You Light A Fire On The Moon?

When you think of a fire, do you imagine a blaze with wood and towers of flames? Well, turns out fire can come in many forms. NASA is lighting a fire on the moon, burning four materials to observe what the flames are like – if there even are flames! This will be helpful for NASA’s undefined, so that the government agency can choose their materials safely, in a way that will prevent fires.

A fire needs oxygen to burn, so instead of just lighting an open fire, NASA will burn four materials in a sealed metal container to test the flammability and the behavior of the flames. The project is called FM2 or Flammability of Materials on the Moon. NASA has already done tests on the ISS and other spacecraft, but the moon will be very different. On Earth, hot air rises over a flame, making the teardrop shape we know. However, the moon’s gravity may have a completely different effect, creating rounder flames, and glowing blue.

On the moon, if a fire happens, putting it out won’t be as simple as calling firefighters and evacuating the building. Cameras and sensors will record what happens, including how much oxygen the fire uses and the heat it produces. NASA will be able to observe which materials are more likely to burn, so they can later carefully choose out what to make their spacesuits, rovers, and houses out of. This will also be a great way to learn about how to put one out on the moon, making it easier to develop equipment and train the astronauts specially.

NASA has not yet disclosed exactly what they will be burning, but in previous tests, fiberglass rods were burnt. One test even set a whole spacecraft on fire as an experiment.