Expert: Mark Janus - 8/18/2007

Question
I know this is'nt exactly your area, but if you were in space on a space ship and you lit up a cigarette, or any flame at that. What would happen? Would the ship explode?

Answer
First of all, you would NEVER do this, but in theory the flame would extinguish itself because there is no gravity to move the exhaust (or combustion byproducts) away from the "fuel" so fresh oxidizer (air) could react with the fuel.... if on the other hand you kept blowing on the flame, it should continue to burn.....  space craft do not use pure oxygen as they did in the "early" days of Apollo....

mj