curahee5656 t1_j6iraxj wrote on January 30, 2023 at 5:03 PM

There was an incident during the Apollo Program where they were venting off LOX after a test on the pad, and a car driving nearby burst into flames for no apparent reason. Another car stopped to help, and it also burst into flames. After that, they changed some of the pad crew rules.

AudibleNod t1_j6iv34h wrote on January 30, 2023 at 5:27 PM

Lemme guess.

One of the rules was to not drive around in flammable cars.

DavidElderkin t1_j6kr613 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 12:43 AM

Liquid Oxygen can turn ordinary asphalt into a contact explosive. There are tales of fire trucks racing to the scene of a LOX spill and having their wheels blown off by the explosions.

Aethelon t1_j6ltiju wrote on January 31, 2023 at 5:59 AM

Is it because asphalt is like 44% carbon and thus acts as a fuel? So when combined with an oxidiser..