NASA wants to equip firefighters with the best safety technology when dealing with forest fires.
The space agency looks to accomplish this goal by working with the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service to giving firefighters the same technology it uses to keep spacecraft from burning up in the atmosphere, according to Engadget. NASA and the Forest Service have been working together since the death of 19 firefighters during the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013.
The new technology will act as a replacement for the 4.3-pound tinfoil snuggie that firefighters currently use to stay safe from extreme heat.
The partnership's thermal protection system is capable of handling extreme temperatures such as that of forest fires that firefighters normally deal with, Engadget reported. NASA's team at the Langley Research Center believes it has made major improvements to the system.
NASA is now sending the prototype to a Canadian research team from the University of Alberta that will burninate the equipment to test its abilities in handling extreme conditions.
The goal is to provide firefighters with this new technology in the near future so they can stay safe while battling fires.
