Flames in space don't burn in a teardrop shape.

(NASA)

At a Glance

In zero-gravity, a flame is shaped like a sphere.The experiments could lead to improved fire safety in missions to the moon.Some materials could be more flammable on the moon.

It may seem counterintuitive to start a fire on a spacecraft, but astronauts aboard the International Space Station did it recently in the name of science.

The experiments are designed to study how flames behave in zero gravity. Better understanding of fire in space will help NASA improve fire safety on the station and future missions to the moon.

"That is the immediate and most practical goal since NASA can use the knowledge to ," Paul Ferkul, a scientist at the Universities Space Research Association who is working on the project, told the Guardian.

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A flame on Earth burns in a teardrop shape, and as hot air rises, cooler air rushes into the bottom, providing oxygen to the fire.

In zero gravity, a flame is shaped like a sphere. If air is flowing, it can elongate the flame.

"Removing gravity eliminates natural convection; the hot air isn’t going up because there is no 'up,'" Ferkul said.

The experiments take place inside a box that's inside a bigger box. They're testing to see how different air flows and box sizes alter combustion rates of two fuels, a fabric made of cotton and fiberglass, and clear acrylic plastic sheets.

Earlier experiments by the team found that some material could be more flammable on the moon. On Earth, the same material draws in air so fast, it puts the fire out. On the moon, the flow might be just enough to keep oxygen flowing and not put the fire out. The experiments are designed to provide better predictions of how different materials behave in low-gravity environments.

"Living on the moon is a different environment from space station and Earth, and fires will behave differently there," Ferkul said. "There’s reason to believe that fires could be more dangerous on the moon than on Earth."

Astronauts have conducted fire experiments since the days of the space shuttles.

"They " Ferkul told the Atlantic. “They’re all very glad to burn stuff.

"The astronauts really enjoying doing it because it is so hands-on," he added.

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