Project Morpheus
Morpheus is a game changing, cross cutting technological breakthrough developed by NASA.
Morpheus was designed to allow firefighters to set back burns to help control forest fires. Previously, firefighters were forced to squirt flammable liquid on the ground and then set it on fire. With the advent of Morpheus, firefighters could assume a standoff posture, safely back from the 20-ton crane and the dangling ignitor system euphamistically called the Morpheus Lander.
After fueling and tank pressurization, The range is checked to make sure it is clear of firefighters. A countdown then commences. At "Liftoff", the Morpheus Lander proceeds to spurt flame in all directions for a duration of several seconds while dancing the Macarena. When fire has been spread a sufficient distance the abort button is pressed. The procedure can be repeated within days if needed.
Tests
- This technology was first demonstrated on NASA Innovation Day (May 04, 2011). It was used to demolish an abandoned elementary school and a low-value subdivision, thus paving the way for the re-introduction of the Attwater Prairie chicken to the Bay Area Boulevard Wilderness Preserve.
- The second test (June 1, 2011) was even more successful than the first. Over 75 acres of JSC prairie was successfully burned, including 234 bales of hay, 6 longhorns, and 53 prairie chickens. [1]
