5. Mir’s Near-Disastrous Fire
On February 23, 1997, a fire erupted aboard the Russian space station Mir when a solid-fuel oxygen generator malfunctioned in the Kvant-1 module. The blaze produced molten metal and dense smoke, obstructing access to one of the two Soyuz escape vehicles. The crew donned respirators to combat the smoke, and after approximately 14 minutes, the fire extinguished itself. The incident highlighted the challenges of long-term space habitation and led to significant safety protocol revisions. For more details, refer to NASA’s account of the event: (nasa.gov)
