2023-10-02 15:17:28

Watch Chinese astronauts light a match on Tiangong space station (video)
Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station recently performed a fascinating experiment involving fire in microgravity. Astronauts Gui Haichao and Zhu Yangzhu lit a candle during a live lecture to demonstrate the behavior of flames in space. The flames appeared almost spherical, unlike the typical teardrop shape seen on Earth.

In a microgravity environment, buoyancy-driven convection is weak, causing flames to diffuse in all directions. This results in spherical fireballs, which was demonstrated by the astronauts. The experiment showcased the unique physical processes that behave differently in space compared to Earth.


The livestreamed lecture, known as "Tiangong classroom," was the fourth of its kind conducted on China's space station. The astronauts interacted with students from five different classrooms across China and demonstrated various microgravity phenomena.

While the candle experiment was captivating, it highlights the contrasting safety regulations between the Tiangong space station and the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS has strict rules regarding flammable materials and open flames, in response to a significant fire incident on the Russian space station Mir in 1997.

I made this - that time ESA astronaut @Astro_Alex made Mission Control think he might have snuck an actual candle onto @Space_Station. It's amazing what you can do with an old penlight and some spare metallic tape: https://t.co/5UvfA1kC8j
Research on combustion in microgravity has been extensively conducted on the ISS using specially-designed combustion integrated racks to isolate and contain fire. Tiangong also has its own Combustion Experiment Rack (CER) for dedicated research in this area.
If you would like to know other articles similar to Chinese Astronauts Successfully Light Match on Tiangong Space Station – Watch the Incredible Video updated this year 2025 you can visit the category Breaking Tech News.
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