With deep space flight less science fiction, and more of an inevitability, University of Central Florida engineers are building new ways to keep passengers safe. UCF’s Subith Vasu and his team have designed a sensor that uses the unique fingerprints of different gases, to determine whether toxic fumes are present in the cabin.

“From a human health perspective, the cabin area is not like the air that we have on Earth. If they’re going into space for an extended period of time, the information would be useful for them to take precautions for any long term illness.”

Vasu says the sensor could also act detect fire-causing gases which could lead to fatalities.

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