Author: Lori Ferguson

For decades, portable fire extinguishers (PFE) have dispensed halon or carbon dioxide (CO2), agents that were effective, yet presented certain risks. A team of Mines faculty and students have perfected a new alternative—an innovative water-mist PFE—and it’s revolutionizing NASA’s ability to protect astronauts and equipment in the sensitive, closed environment of the International Space Station (ISS). Admittedly, water isn’t a new fire suppression agent. In fact, it’s one of the world’s oldest. But for many years, water has been eschewed in favor of the chemical compound halon and, more recently, CO2. Despite their efficacy, these suppressants come with significant drawbacks: halon damages the ozone layer, and carbon dioxide depletes the oxygen supply—a particular concern in enclosed spaces such as the ISS. When Mines’ Center for Space Resources...