Pyrotechnics have found many applications in spacecraft because they provide a
lot of energy with relatively low weight. However, they are reluctantly used,
because they are not well-understood. To help clear the confusion,
Laurence J. Bement of NASA Langley and Morry L. Schimmel of Schimmel Company
wrote
"A Manual for Pyrotechnic Design, Development, and Qualification".
Published as NASA TM 110172 in July 1995, this manual's objectives are to "move
the art from pyrotechnic applications", "introduce engineering approaches", and
"provide the logic for improved procurement, design, development, qualification,
integration, and use" of pyrotechnics.
Mr. Bement also helped us with the pyrotechnics section of
the Space Mechanisms Handbook.
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