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Candle
Flames in Microgravity (CFM)
Home Page Candles are often taken for granted, but they have been
the object of scientific study for hundreds of years. Michael Faraday, the
famous, 19th-century English scientist who discovered many principles of
electricity, wrote that "there is no more open door by which you can enter
into the study of natural philosophy [science] than by considering the phenomena
of a candle."
The goal of this project is to go through that open door by considering the process of combustion—as epitomized by candles—in environments with very little gravity (microgravity). The knowledge acquired from studying the physical and chemical properties of burning candles in space can help us use and control combustion more efficiently, and solve combustion-related problems in space and on earth. Specifically, scientists can apply what they learn to such areas as:
The Candle Flames in Microgravity project is a collaborative effort by Drs. Howard Ross and Daniel Dietrich of the NASA Glenn Research Center, and Professor James T'ien of Case Western Reserve University. Their work is supported by NASA Headquarters, Microgravity Science and Applications Division. Feel free to explore our site, where you will find information regarding the results of candle flame experiments in the simulated microgravity of drop towers and the real microgravity of the Space Shuttle and the Mir Orbiting Space Station. You will also be able to peer into the future by learning about hardware being designed for future space experiments, and the development of a computerized model of a microgravity candle flame. Contact Information Project Scientists: Dr. Howard Ross 
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