{"id":73972,"date":"2018-02-14T17:56:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T21:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-418578"},"modified":"2023-08-28T15:41:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T19:41:11","slug":"50-years-ago-apollo-flammability-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-flammability-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Years Ago: Apollo Flammability Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg?w=600\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Apollo Boilerplate 1224 capsule\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg?resize=400,300 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Apollo Boilerplate 1224 capsule on display at the private Harris County Youth Village in Seabrook, TX.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Following the January 1967 fire that took the lives of the Apollo 1 astronauts, NASA established a Senior Flammability Test Review Board.  Headed by Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) Director Robert Gilruth, the Board requested a flammability test program to determine whether the redesigned Apollo spacecraft were acceptable from a flammability perspective for human testing and flight.  The Board requested a series of flammability tests of both the Lunar Module (LM) and the Command Module (CM) to determine the optimal cabin atmospheric composition and pressure to minimize the risk of fire.  After the fire, engineers reduced or eliminated flammable materials and sources of ignition from the cabins wherever possible.  MSC\u2019s Structures and Mechanics Division carried out all the testing in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the flammability testing, manufacturers of the LM and CM constructed mockups that reflected with high fidelity the interior geometry, electrical wiring and components, flight hardware and crew equipment of the spacecraft.  The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation of Bethpage, NY, built the LM M-6 model for flammability testing which was completed in October and November 1967, with 41 deliberate ignitions carried out.  After the test, NASA determined that the LM was adequately fire protected.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1610\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Lunar Module Model M-6\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg 4100w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=300,236 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=768,604 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=1024,805 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=1536,1207 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=2048,1610 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=400,314 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=600,472 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=900,707 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=1200,943 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/lm_mockup_6_used_for_flammability_testing_s67-38781.jpg?resize=2000,1572 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Lunar Module Model M-6 used for flammability tests at the Manned Spacecraft Center.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>For CM flammability testing, the North American Rockwell Corporation of Downey, CA, fabricated Boilerplate 1224.  Engineers in Houston conducted three series of tests comprising 102 deliberate ignitions between December 1967 and February 1968 at varying cabin atmospheric composition and pressure:  100% oxygen at 6.2 psi (the conditions during orbital flight); a mixture of 60% oxygen and 40% nitrogen at 16.2 psi (the expected conditions in the cabin during ground testing and prelaunch operations); and 100% oxygen at 16.2 psi (the conditions that were present during the Apollo fire). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The test results revealed a few areas of concern in the CM, which were corrected, but according to Gilruth the results indicated a drastically reduced fire hazard in the Apollo spacecraft.  Many of the fires self-extinguished during testing and all could have been dealt with easily by onboard firefighting equipment.  The series of tests led to a determination of ideal cabin atmospheres during ground testing, prelaunch operations and flight.  That decision announced March 14 took NASA one step closer to landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1535\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The Command Module Boilerplate 1224\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=1536,1151 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=2048,1535 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=900,675 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=1200,900 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_for_flammability_tests_s67-03327.jpg?resize=2000,1499 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">The Command Module Boilerplate 1224 capsule used for flammability tests at the Manned Spacecraft Center.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The CM Boilerplate 1224 was transferred to the Smithsonian Institute in 1978, and is currently on loan to and on display at the private Harris County Youth Village in Seabrook, TX.  It can be viewed at a distance from the street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more details on the Apollo flammability test program, please see <a href=\"https:\/\/ntrs.nasa.gov\/archive\/nasa\/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov\/19700015953.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/ntrs.nasa.gov\/archive\/nasa\/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov\/19700015953.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following the January 1967 fire that took the lives of the Apollo 1 astronauts, NASA established a Senior Flammability Test Review Board.  Headed by Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) Director Robert Gilruth, the Board requested a flammability test program to determine whether the redesigned Apollo spacecraft were acceptable from a flammability perspective for human testing and [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":79641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2713,2941],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"50 Years Ago: Apollo Flammability Tests","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-flammability-tests\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-flammability-tests\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Apollo","Apollo 1","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2018-02-14T21:56:00Z","datePublished":"2018-02-14T21:56:00Z","dateModified":"2023-08-28T19:41:11Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"50 Years Ago: Apollo Flammability Tests\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-flammability-tests\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2018-02-14T21:56:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Apollo,Apollo 1,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"6 years","featured_image":{"id":79641,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display.jpg","title":"apollo_boilerplate_1224_on_display","alt":"The Apollo Boilerplate 1224 capsule","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73972"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73972"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":301148,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73972\/revisions\/301148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73972"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=73972"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=73972"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=73972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}