Comments on: Fixed an error in an LRO image http://josephshoer.com/blog/2010/03/fixed-an-error-in-an-lro-image/ quantum mechanic and rocket scientist extraordinaire Mon, 21 May 2012 10:07:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Joseph http://josephshoer.com/blog/2010/03/fixed-an-error-in-an-lro-image/comment-page-1/#comment-729 Joseph Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:48:51 +0000 http://josephshoer.com/blog/?p=511#comment-729 The Apollo 1 fire was not the result of solely a 100% oxygen cabin atmosphere - 100% oxygen is still fairly common in fighter cockpits, diving, and space suit EVAs. The disaster was also the result of extra-high pressure, solid mats of Velcro all over the CM cabin, and frayed wiring. It took a perfect storm of all these ingredients to cause that fire. That said, getting rid of as many of those elements as we can will mitigate the risks. So, if possible, yes. I'm not sure what the relative oxygen and nitrogen content of the materials accessible from inside the lava tube might be (at least if there's water ice, we could extract the oxygen). Nitrogen is only one option for padding out the mixture, too. Just about any inert gas would work - all we require is the O2! The Apollo 1 fire was not the result of solely a 100% oxygen cabin atmosphere – 100% oxygen is still fairly common in fighter cockpits, diving, and space suit EVAs. The disaster was also the result of extra-high pressure, solid mats of Velcro all over the CM cabin, and frayed wiring. It took a perfect storm of all these ingredients to cause that fire. That said, getting rid of as many of those elements as we can will mitigate the risks.

So, if possible, yes. I’m not sure what the relative oxygen and nitrogen content of the materials accessible from inside the lava tube might be (at least if there’s water ice, we could extract the oxygen). Nitrogen is only one option for padding out the mixture, too. Just about any inert gas would work – all we require is the O2!

]]> By: Steve http://josephshoer.com/blog/2010/03/fixed-an-error-in-an-lro-image/comment-page-1/#comment-728 Steve Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:18:25 +0000 http://josephshoer.com/blog/?p=511#comment-728 Love the concept, although it doesn't look like NASA is thinking that way at the moment. One question though, in light of Apollo 1, I'd think we wouldn't want a oxygen-rich atmosphere, right? Would we have to carry nitrogen there for the purpose of safeing the atmosphere against fire? Love the concept, although it doesn’t look like NASA is thinking that way at the moment. One question though, in light of Apollo 1, I’d think we wouldn’t want a oxygen-rich atmosphere, right? Would we have to carry nitrogen there for the purpose of safeing the atmosphere against fire?

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