Picture a fire breaking out in a space station or on the Moon. In these extreme environments, reduced gravity, oxygen-rich atmospheres, and low pressure, even the smallest spark can escalate into a disaster, threatening astronauts’ lives and the success of entire missions. To tackle this critical challenge, the FireSpace project was launched, backed by a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant.

Led by four cutting-edge European laboratories:

• Centrale Lille Institut’s R2Fire team
• Sorbonne Université’s Institut d’Alembert (in collaboration with New York University’s IgNYte lab)
• University of Bremen’s ZARM
• Ghent University

FireSpace is on a mission to understand, prevent, and control fires in spacecraft, lunar habitats, and Martian bases. The team is developing innovative fire-retardant materials, active flame control strategies (using acoustic and electromagnetic disruptions), high-tech sensors for real-time combustion analysis, and advanced numerical simulations to predict and enhance safety.

The stakes are high: as humanity prepares for missions to the Moon and Mars, every detail matters. FireSpace isn’t just about putting out fires—it’s about inventing the technologies that will safeguard astronauts and inspire groundbreaking applications on Earth, from construction to transportation. Beyond research, the project is training the next generation of scientists and sharing its findings in open access, paving the way for the future of space exploration.

A human adventure, a scientific revolution

FireSpace is sparking the future of space safety.