 Hey everyone, a Cygnus resupply spacecraft launched to the International Space Station today, carrying a bunch of supplies and experiments, including sapphire, an experiment that will set fire to the Cygnus spacecraft. So why are we lighting fires in space, and why am I about to set fire to this piece of cotton? You'll find out in this space pod for March 23rd, 2016. This spacecraft launched at five minutes past three, coordinated universal time, and is designated Orbital ATK-6, or OA-6. Confusingly, Orbital ATK-5 is scheduled to launch after this one, around the end of May. This Cygnus spacecraft is carrying 3,513 kilograms of cargo. It will berth to the space station, where it will be unpacked and refilled with trash ready to deorbit and dispose of the trash by burning up in the atmosphere. In between unberthing and de-opening, however, a nifty experiment is going to be completed, and that's where Sapphire comes in. Sapphire, or spacecraft fire experiment one, will set fire to a piece of material roughly 100 centimetres by 40 centimetres long, creating the largest experimental fire ever in microgravity. This experiment will measure oxygen, carbon dioxide, pressure and temperature as the fire spreads, and will record the whole thing with two high-definition video cameras. Sapphire will be burning a blend of cotton and fiberglass. Fiberglass adds strength to the cotton and keeps it steady so that the cameras can get the best view of the burning. Pure cotton likes to move and crack while it burns, looking a little something like this. Sapphire allows us to conduct realistic fire experiments that are simply too risky to be performed on crewed vehicles like the International Space Station. The data we get from Sapphire will allow us to better understand how fires spread microgravity. This will lead to better procedures on how to respond to fires on board a spacecraft, making space flights safer for both our current and future astronauts. So I think it's fitting that this Cygnus spacecraft is called the SS Zurich Husband in memory of the space shuttle Columbia Commander who lost his life when Columbia disintegrated upon return to Earth. Thank you for watching this space pod and thank you to our Patreon patrons who make these space pods possible. These videos are 100% crowdfunded and would not be possible without the support of our founders of tomorrow, architects, engineers, ambassadors, dreamers and citizens of tomorrow. So thank you for your support. For more information on our crowdfunding and to look at our reward levels, head over to patreon.com slash space pod. For my next videos I'd like to cover some more of the experiments that the Cygnus spacecraft has delivered to the space station. So leave a comment below or let me know via social media if there's any experiments you want me to cover. And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash T-M-R-O in case my next space pod is about the experiment that you've chosen. My name is Lisa Stodzianowski and until next time keep on discovering.