Quantification of fire signatures for practical spacecraft materials

Due to the ever-present danger of possible fires aboard space vehicles and in space habitats, early detection is critical. Several challenges exist in detecting fire signatures reflecting the differences between microgravity and normal gravity environments. For example, there is currently no method of ground combustion testing that closely emulates microgravity, and therefore, fire detectors presently used in space exploration are minimally effective in that they are designed and tested based on signatures of normal gravity. The primary goals of the research conducted for this specific aspect of the Fire Safety Program are to create a database of fire signatures for practical spacecraft materials and with this data to provide recommendations for the development of improved fire sensors for future space exploration.