Spacecraft fire-safety strategy emphasizes prevention, mostly through the selection of onboard items classified accord- ing to their fire resistance. The principal NASA acceptance tests described in this paper assess the flammability of materials and components under 'worst-case' normal-gravity conditions of upward flame spread in controlled-oxygen atmospheres. Tests conducted on the ground, however, cannot duplicate the unique fire characteristics in the nonbuoyant low-gravity environment of orbiting spacecraft. Research shows that flammability an fire-spread rates in low gravity are sensitive to forced convection (ventilation flows) and atmospheric-oxygen concentration. These research results are helping to define new material-screening test methods that will better evaluate material performance in spacecraft.


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    Title :

    Testing and Selection of Fire-Resistant Materials for Spacecraft Use


    Contributors:
    R. Friedman (author) / B. Jackson (author) / S. Olson (author)

    Publication date :

    2000


    Size :

    20 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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