Flame, in microgravity. Reid Wiseman sends home the best Vines from Space.
We’ve written before about how and why flame abandons its flickering familiar shape for a sphere on the International Space Station. It seems the experiments aren’t over, as astronaut and provider of six-second loops of incredible views from the station Reid Wiseman sent home footage of the second-generation Flame Extinguishing experiment.
https://gizmodo.com/how-does-fire-behave-in-zero-gravity-5779127
https://gizmodo.com/this-is-what-happens-when-you-play-with-fire-in-space-514274963
According to the project description by NASA:
The Flame Extinguishment – 2 (FLEX-2) experiment is the second experiment to fly on the ISS which uses small droplets of fuel to study the special spherical characteristics of burning fuel droplets in space. The FLEX-2 experiment studies how quickly fuel burns, the conditions required for soot to form, and how mixtures of fuels evaporate before burning. Understanding these processes could lead to the production of a safer spacecraft as well as increased fuel efficiency for engines using liquid fuel on Earth.
Cool, sounds like it’ll be interesting science. But even if the experiment is a dud, the footage is hypnotizing. Thanks, Reid! Here’s the full clip:
A floating sphere of fire comes alive in FLEX-2 @ISS_Science – may lead to better engines on Earth. https://t.co/iCqIDTQP9Z
— Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid) July 18, 2014
I don’t know about you, but to me the flame looks just like a mobile space jellyfish, scooting across a starry sea.
Need more clips of astronomical wonder? Reid Wiseman’s previous Vines from space include an eternal day, lightning, and aurora. Oooh, pretty!
