May 082016
A Bell Aerosystems advertisement describing the hydrogen peroxide attitude control thrusters on the Mercury capsule. Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, was passed through silver-coated fine metal mesh screens; this catalyzed the H2O2 to decompose into O2 and H2O in the form of high-temperature steam. While the O2 could be combusted with a fuel such as kerosene or hydrogen to generate a true bipropellant rocket engine, the O2/H2O exhaust from the monopropellant reaction was adequate for small attitude control thrusters. Bell was building a similar system for use on the Dyna Soar spaceplane.
