Shuttle Crew Gets Fired Up Over Research
Admitting to a “streak of pyromania,” the space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts gleefully set small fires aboard the orbiter Saturday to help NASA design better smoke detectors and fire extinguishers for use in weightlessness.
Pilot Scott Horowitz spent much of the day igniting small pieces of paper in an enclosed chamber. He was amazed at the flames’ intensity and how quickly they spread.
“Wow, look at that,” Horowitz said. “I wish when I was out doing my survival training . . . I could get a fire started that easy.”
The crew also burned insulating material to test two smoke detectors: a replica of what now flies on space shuttles and a prototype intended for the future international space station.
Before the flight, astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman joked that he couldn’t wait to play with fire. “Ever since I was a Boy Scout, I’ve had this streak of pyromania,” Hoffman said. “I love fires, and fires in weightlessness are fascinating. They’re absolutely fascinating because the flames behave completely different.”
So far, experiments indicate that the two detectors work well.
Throughout the day, Columbia’s seven astronauts had to be as still as possible to prevent damage to growing crystals, some of which are as sensitive to motion as souffles.
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