# Explosions in Space
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 29, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993 "2005-05-29T16:28:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@noanswer42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noanswer42)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/1 "2005-05-29T16:28:37Z")
Hi everyone, I was just wondering if anyone knew a good explanation of what would happen if an explosion occurred on a space station, and if possible, in a space station, causing a hole, etc. I’ve looked around several places and none have really given a useful idea of it.
I don’t know any specifics of bombs, but from what I can gather, either the bomb would light up on the surface and throw the debris, or explode and flame because of the oxidants (?) of the bomb, and then keep going with the releasing air of the space station. But I still don’t know exactly what it would look like…
PS: Is there a search function?
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/2 "2005-05-29T16:40:52Z")
This question isn’t answerable without more explanation. What kind of bomb (yes, there are a lot of kinds) and where? What kind of space station?
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### Author:  [@noanswer42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noanswer42)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/3 "2005-05-29T16:49:50Z")
Oh, sorry. Well, any kind of bomb, or maybe even just a large malfunction causing an explosion. Not a nuclear. I’m thinking a huge space station–like science fiction, rotating decks, etc. pretty far out into space.
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/4 "2005-05-29T17:02:18Z")
A manned space station would be pressurized, so loss of pressure would be the biggest immediate danger to the occupants.
A tiny explosion would make a small hole and cause a slow loss of pressure. The occupants may have time to escape to other parts of the station, spacecraft or escape capsules.
A moderate explosion will create a larger hole and everything in the vicinity, including the occupants, may be sucked out of the door. Ideally the station is designed like a submarine, with pressure doors between compartments/modules, and these doors will close automatically to save the rest of the station.
A major explosion will cause structural damage, causing pieces of the station (and perhaps some intact modules) flying in all directions. This would be especially serious on a spinning station, because the spin would cause the pieces to fly away faster.
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### Author:  [@noanswer42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noanswer42)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/5 "2005-05-29T18:32:59Z")
Interesting, what you said about the pressurizing doors between areas is what I was thinking too. Do you think if it were two spinning circles connected by a piece in the middle (still several stories tall reminded), and the connection to the middle and the circle was broken by the explosion, that maybe they would separate and the bridge would crash through the circle while it was moving. (i.e. imagine O becoming a C because the circle kept moving, disconnected.)
Man, that would cool in a movie, especially if it were right above an atmosphere.
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### Author:  [@noanswer42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noanswer42)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/6 "2005-05-29T18:34:03Z")
Also, what do you think the actual explosion would look like, fire or no fire?
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/7 "2005-05-29T22:39:20Z")
> [@noanswer42](#):
>
> Also, what do you think the actual explosion would look like, fire or no fire?
If there’s fuel, energy, and oxygen present, there will be fire. If one of them is missing, there will be no fire.
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### Author:  [@noanswer42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noanswer42)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/8 "2005-05-29T22:46:00Z")
If there is air rushing out of the area, and it is dispersing, how long do you think the fire will last? How far will the air go out into space? Could flames float in space? What would they look like? Why I am asking these questions?
Thanks for the answers though already.
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### Author:  [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/9 "2005-05-30T02:15:17Z")
> [@noanswer42](#):
>
> PS: Is there a search function?
Yes, but you have to subscribe to have access.
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### Author:  [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/10 "2005-05-30T02:35:05Z")
> [@noanswer42](#):
>
> Also, what do you think the actual explosion would look like, fire or no fire?
The explosion itself - i.e. the bright flash of light - would look the same. If it happened in vacuum it would behave a little differently - there will be no billowing smoke, and no shock wave (blast). If it happened within a pressurized space station it would look exactly like an explosion on earth, until the resulting hole sucks out a significant amount of air. This lack of air will probably put out most fires.
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### Author:  [@Acetylsalicylic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acetylsalicylic)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/11 "2005-05-30T03:13:16Z")
You may find [this site](http://www.nasa.gov/lb/audience/forstudents/k-4/home/F_Fire_Prevention_in_Space.html) helpful.
Note the globe-shaped fire. The two “candles” look like wooden matches to me.
The picture of the type of fire extinguisher they use in space is pretty cool, too.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [May 30, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explosions-in-space/305993/12 "2005-05-30T03:14:52Z")
> [@scr4](#):
>
> The explosion itself - i.e. the bright flash of light - would look the same.
On the other hand, any fires started by the explosion would look very different in microgravity, where the convection that makes flames flame-shaped doesn’t happen.
[Here’s a picture](http://nasaexplores.com/show2_articlea.php?id=03-022) comparing a candle flame on earth, to one on the International Space Station.
There’s more on combustion in space in this unfortunately titled piece: [Shuttle Columbia’s Astronauts Burn Up the Record Books](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sts107_update_030123.html)