Nichols Martin
The International Space Station sent a Northrop Grumman-made Cygnus NG-13 spacecraft out for missions to test satellites and conduct an experiment on space fire safety, Space.com reported Monday.
The spacecraft flew to ISS in February to deliver supplies, and will embark to launch a fire safety trial as well as disperse small satellites designed to test space communication methods.
Cygnus will first launch two cubesats in an orbit higher than that of the space station, then move on to experiment on how fire spreads in space with specific pressure and oxygen concentration conditions.
The spacecraft’s new mission will last for weeks.
“Understanding how fire behaves in microgravity, and how different materials propagate flames in space is immensely important for the development of future crew spacecraft,†NASA said.
