Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyle(AFP/Getty)NASA plans an experiment called "Flammability of Materials on the Moon" (FM2) to intentionally set fire to materials on the lunar surface. The experiment aims to understand how flames behave in lunar gravity, which differs from Earth's, to enhance safety for future crewed Artemis missions to Mars and beyond. Materials that are not flammable on Earth might burn at lower oxygen concentrations in lunar gravity, posing a potential hazard for astronauts. A robotic, self-contained combustion chamber will be sent to the moon, carrying test samples of cotton, fiberglass, and acrylic rods to be ignited and observed. Sensors and cameras within the chamber will record fire behavior, spread rate, and oxygen levels, with the mission potentially launching later this year. In fullNASA wants to light a fire on the moon – but it’s for scienceMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Here’s how NASA plans to light a fire on the moon
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyle(AFP/Getty)NASA plans an experiment called "Flammability of Materials on the Moon" (FM2) to intentionally set fire to materials on the lunar surface. The experiment aims to understand how flames behave in lunar gravity, which differs from Earth's, to enhance safety for future crewed Artemis missions to Mars and beyond. Materials that are not flammable on Earth might burn at lower oxygen concentrations in lunar gravity, posing a potential hazard for astronauts. A robotic, self-contained combustion chamber will be sent to the moon, carrying test samples of cotton, fiberglass, and acrylic rods to be ignited and observed. Sensors and cameras within the chamber will record fire behavior, spread rate, and oxygen levels, with the mission potentially launching later this year. In fullNASA wants to light a fire on the moon – but it’s for scienceMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
