From: virker@ikke.invalid.retro.com   
      
   Rodney Kelp wrote:   
      
   > Can you fire a gun in space?   
      
   Yes. Beware of the recoil, though.   
      
   > Will the powder burn?   
      
   No. It will explode. Powder is a mixture of something flammable, and   
   something that provides Oxygen. For gunpowder you use Potassium Nitrate, for   
   Space Shuttle boosters you use Ammonium Perchlorate, both are able to supply   
   lots of Oxygen for the combustion.   
      
   > And if you made the   
   > reloads in space in a vacuum would they fire?   
      
   Yes, if you put oxidizer in it.   
      
   > Will dynamite explode in space?   
      
   Most certainly. Dynamite carries its own Oxygen, too. Otherwise, it wouldn't   
   explode, it would burn (but only in the presense of Oxygen).   
      
   > Will a nucular bomb ignite on the moon?   
      
   I hope not! Of course it will. A nuclear process is not a combustive   
   process.   
      
   > The best way to put a fire out in space is open the door?   
      
   I don't think so. While it would probably put out the fire, this method has   
   some severe drawbacks. For one thing, noone would be able to breathe   
   afterwards. Second, you wouldn't be removing any heat from the burning   
   material, so if the cabin was repressurized with new Oxygen within a few   
   minutes, the material would probably catch fire again.   
      
   I would suggest using a foam extinguisher.   
      
   /steen   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)