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Author
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Topic: Fire extinguishers aboard Apollo CM
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Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 678
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 10-05-2011 03:57 PM
  
Were there fire extiguishers inside the CM of Apollo 1/AS-204/CSM-012 during the 'plugs out' test when the fatal fire occured? If so did the crew use them? |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4494
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-05-2011 04:52 PM
Freon extinguishers were evaluated and not planned for installation until just prior to lift-off.Redesigned freon propelled foam extinguisher were installed with the first Block II. |
Jim_Voce
Member Posts: 273
From:
Registered: Jul 2016
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posted 10-22-2018 11:07 PM
In Chariots for Apollo, I read something that was quite surprising and I would like to verify it. In August 1966, three fire extinguishers, weighing only 5.7 to 6 kilograms, were evaluated for spacecraft 012 and subsequent flights. The extinguisher selected would be stowed on liftoff for the first manned flights. On later missions, it would be mounted in brackets. All three used Freon FE 1301, a most efficient extinguishing agent on the ground. Under space conditions, however, the chemical worked more slowly, required a higher level of saturation of the flammable materials, and, even worse, generated a gas that might, in sufficient quantities, prove fatal to the crew. Other chemicals would of course be tested, but this would take time. It is not clear if any decision was made on the use of fire extinguishers. Clearly Apollo 1 did not have any fire extinguishers on board the command module in January 1967. But were there any plans to add some to the spacecraft before launch? Does anyone have any further details on this? Editor's note: Threads merged. |
oly
Member Posts: 971
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 10-23-2018 05:08 AM
The use of fire extinguishers within the confined space of an Apollo capsule becomes complicated when you consider the following.Fire extinguishers by design remove the oxygen from the fire triangle (fuel, ignition source and oxygen), the oxygen is also a requirement for crew survival. During the Mercury and Gemini programs, it was considered that the fastest way to extinguish a fire would be to vent the cabin of air, removing the oxygen that supports any fire. This required the crew to be sealed within their suit. This option also existed for Apollo while the crew were suited, but was not an option once suits were removed. Carbon dioxide fire extinguishers would flood the cabin with a gas poisonous to human life, and halon fire extinguishers remove the oxygen, are poisonous and are also a serious irritant. A close study of the interior of the Apollo command module will reveal a few small red circled holes scattered over the instrument panel and in other areas inside the spacecraft. These holes were strategically located to allow the nozzle of the water gun to be inserted behind the panel to flood areas identified as potential fire sources as seen in this image. NASA installed extinguishers to the Apollo spacecraft following the Apollo 1 fire as seen here and on this cS thread. NASA also installed hoods for the crew as seen in this image. This document details the requirements for spacecraft fire extinguishers. |
Jim_Voce
Member Posts: 273
From:
Registered: Jul 2016
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posted 10-25-2018 02:32 AM
Thank you Oly for the super insightful response. The details are really intriguing. |
Jim_Voce
Member Posts: 273
From:
Registered: Jul 2016
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posted 11-11-2018 02:46 AM
Okay, so unless I missed something in the responses to this posting, I would like to ask in summary:Given that fire extinguishers were evaluated in 1966 for use on Apollo 1 but then finally decided against, what if any fire outbreak containment procedures were in place for Apollo 1 in 1967? Was it finally decided to have no procedures at all in place when the spacecraft was on the launchpad? And then simply rely on depressurizing the spacecraft once it was in orbit if a fire broke out? |
oly
Member Posts: 971
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 11-11-2018 09:53 AM
Try these cS threads: |
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