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NASA Probes Shuttle Oxygen Leak

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the getting-started-with-a-bang-not-necessarily-a-good-thing dept.

Cherita Chen writes "NASA is investigating the possibility of a gaseous oxygen leak, posing a serious fire risk, during the launch of the space shuttle Discovery in July. From the article: 'Engineers uncovered possible evidence of high concentrations of the gas in the rear engine compartment about two minutes after lift-off. A leak could lead to a fire or even an explosion in flight.'"

5 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Oh no! by mrRay720 · · Score: 5, Funny

    They'd better not let all of that dangerous oxygen escape into the atmosphere!!

    1. Re:Oh no! by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oxygen isn't dangerous per se, but it becomes deadly when it reacts with hydrogen to form dihydrogen monoxide.

      --
      If you can read this sig, you're too close.
  2. Gas in the rear engine compartment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...can really make you unpopular with the rest of the crew.

  3. It's True! by andyb2083 · · Score: 5, Informative

    See DHMO.org for more info.

  4. some comments on your comments by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 5, Informative

    High concentrations of oxygen won't combust, it's the lower-middle concentrations (especially mixed with certain other chemicals) you have to watch for.

    I believe you're confusing oxygen with a fuel. Oxygen won't combust at all. But putting a solid or liquid fuel in contact with pure oxygen and an ignition source is a recipe for disaster. It's true that if the oxygen concentration were to reach such a high level that all other flammable gasses present were below their LFL the mixture wouldn't burn, but that wouldn't make the situation safe because a more concentrated fuel source could be introduced and you'd have a huge fireball on your hands.

    --
    If you can read this sig, you're too close.