Blank Richard wrote:
Another view of such taken from NASA website Hypergolic propellants are fuels and oxidizers which ignite on contact with each other and need no ignition source. This easy start and restart capability makes them attractive for both manned and unmanned spacecraft maneuvering systems. Another plus is their storability — they do not have the extreme temperature requirements of cryogenics. The fuel is monomethyl hydrazine (MMH) and the oxidizer is nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4). Perhaps the ancient Chinese were the first to experiment with stuff that goes bang in the night and thereafter came Oak Ridge Labs. Richard ------------------------------------ Both of these compounds are highly toxic. Hydrazine has been used a propellant in automotive air bags. the ancitne Chinese were extremely competent in many surprising ways, and far ahead of Europe. However, it is unlikely their chemistry was good enough to produce the above chemicals. Mike Carrell
