ISS Experiment Studies Flames and Fire Suppression in Space

A combustion experiment jointly designed by scientists and engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, OH) and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) is currently in operation onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Burning and Suppression of Solids (BASS) experiment will bridge the gap among normal-gravity material flammability screening tests, short-time ground-based microgravity tests, and actual zero-gravity spacecraft conditions. The basic applied hypothesis is that in certain conditions, a material in zero-gravity will be more flammable than it is in normal gravity.