New Frontier: Waste Incineration in Space

Date: June 22, 2016

Source: News Room

A capsule full of International Space Station (ISS) waste was cut loose and incinerated upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere high above the Pacific. Researchers gathered data from sensors on the capsule in the hope of improving future spacecraft reentry. Also to better understand spacecraft safety, scientists deliberately ignited a large blaze in the capsule to study the spread of flames in a weightless environment. The so-called "Cygnus'' capsule was originally built and delivered to the ISS by Virginia-based Orbital ATK. Once its cargo of supplies were unloaded, the capsule was filled with more than 4,000 pounds of garbage and discarded equipment for disposal.

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