Vika oxygen generator: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:00, 12 October 2013

Revision as of 05:01, 5 February 2014

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{{pquote|The fire was a “raging blowtorch" .. |Mir crewmember onboard during the fire|<ref name=ellis/>}}

In February 1997 a Vika chemical oxygen generator failed on Mir. It caught fire and spewed a torch-like jet of a molten metal and sparks across one of the [[Mir]] [[space station]] modules, burning for around 14 minutes and blocking the escape route to the docked [[Soyuz spacecraft]].<ref name=ellis/> The fire was eventually put out, and the crew survivedwas not harmed.<ref name=ellis/> A definitive cause to the accident was not determined because the fire destroyed the device.<ref name=ellis/> Despite this incident, NASA decided it was still the best supplemental oxygen system available and supported its use on the then upcoming ISS.<ref name=ellis/> However the U.S. and Russia worked together to improve the safety of the system before using it on the new space station.<ref name=ellis/>

==Vika on ISS==