12 Feb 2025

An experiment studying how solid materials catch fire and burn in the Moon’s gravity was launched on Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital flight this month. 

Developed by NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland together with Voyager Technologies, the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) will help researchers determine if conditions on the Moon – with reduced gravity – might be a more hazardous environment for fire safety. 

On this flight, LUCI tested flammability of cotton-fiberglass fabric and plastic rods, and once launched, the payload capsule rotated at a speed to simulate lunar gravity. NASA Glenn researchers will analyze data post-flight.

LUCI’s findings will help NASA and its partners design safe spacecraft and spacesuits for future Moon and Mars missions. 

[Image]

(A) A still image of a video that shows a plastic rod and cotton-fiberglass fabric being burned during a ground test of the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation (LUCI) experiment.

(B) A plastic rod and cotton-fiberglass fabric that were burned during testing for the Lunar-g Combustion Investigation. New, unburned samples were lit on fire during the flight.