# fire extinguisher on the space shuttle ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564 "2008-02-06T18:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/1 "2008-02-06T18:53:23Z")
How would a fire extinguisher work in space? (yes…I just watched the movie _Space Cowboys_ in which some real tough dudes save the planet earth, or something like that.) Anyway, in a scene that’s supposed to be scary\*, a fire breaks out in the electronics. And the handsome hero saves the day by reaching out for a standard fire extinguisher, (like the one I have in my kitchen), and dowsing the control panel with foam. So I started to wonder: what would _really_ happen if you sprayed foam in zero gravity? And what would happen in the space shuttle if electronic parts overheat and start flames? How would the astronauts handle it? \*(right before they ‘accidently’ discover the nuclear missiles, duh), ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/2 "2008-02-06T20:35:19Z")
It works the same as on earth - CO[sub]2[/sub] displaces O[sub]2[/sub] so the fire goes out. In microgravity the CO[sub]2[/sub] won’t sink like on earth, just form an expanding sphere. But the fire burns spherically and slowly anyhow. You probably need less CO[sub]2[/sub] and at a lower nozzle pressure. But you also need to ensure that the CO[sub]2[/sub] is dissipated so your astronaut doesn’t asphyxiate. Space stations keep air moving to avoid this. Si ---
**Author:** ![PuddingCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@PuddingCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PuddingCat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/3 "2008-02-08T16:59:20Z")
Thrusters! You could have fire extinguisher races 🙂 tim ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/4 "2008-02-08T18:59:43Z")
[QUOTE=trmatthe] Thrusters! You could have fire extinguisher races 🙂 tim [/QUOTE] Fun for all - until the CO[sub]2[/sub] alarms start going off, you run out of scrubbers, and you are left with the choice of dying slowly of asphyxiation or sucking vacuum for a quick end… :smack: Si ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/5 "2008-02-09T08:24:39Z")
Not on the Shuttle, but there _was_ an electrical fire on the Mir space station that the crew were able to put out with onboard fire extinguishers. I can only imagine it was a total nightmare while it lasted! ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-extinguisher-on-the-space-shuttle/436564/6 "2008-02-09T13:32:38Z")
They use [freon & halon fire extinguishers](http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/shutref/orbiter/cw/smokedet.html): > [@](#): > > Fire suppression in the crew cabin avionics bays is provided by one Freon-1301 (bromotrifluoromethane) extinguisher bottle in each of the three avionics bays. Each bottle contains 3.74 to 3.8 pounds of Freon-1301 in a pressure vessel that is 8 inches long and 4.25 inches in diameter. To activate the applicable Freon-1301 bottle in an avionics bay, the corresponding fire suppression av bay switch on panel L1 is positioned to arm, and the corresponding agent disch push button light indicator on panel L1 is depressed for at least two seconds. The agent disch push button light indicator activates the corresponding pyro initiator controller, which initiates a pyrotechnic valve on the bottle to discharge the Freon-1301 into the avionics bay. > [@](#): > > Three portable hand-held fire extinguishers are available in the crew cabin. Two are located in the crew cabin middeck and one is on the flight deck. Each fire extinguisher nozzle is tapered to fit fire hole ports in the display and control panels. The extinguishing agent is Halon-1301 (monobromotrifluoromethane). Halon-1301 minimizes the major hazards of a conflagration: smoke; heat; oxygen depletion; and formation of pyrolysis products, such as carbon monoxide. The fire extinguishers are 13 inches long. The portable fire extinguishers can also be used as a backup for extinguishers in the avionics bays.