Devil's venom was a nickname coined by Soviet rocket scientists for a liquid rocket fuel composed of a dangerous combination of nitric acid and hydrazine -- specifically, hypergolic UDMH-nitric acid. It is extremely corrosive and toxic (it produces poisonous gas when burned), but is used in rocketry because of this combination of fuel and oxidizer being hypergolic (not requiring an external ignition source, which makes rockets using these simpler) and both the fuel and oxidizer having high boiling points (as compared to other rocket fuels such as liquid hydrogen, and oxidizers such as liquid oxygen) allowing rockets using these to be stored, ready for launch, for long periods of time without the fuel or oxidizer boiling off and needing to be replenished.
Famous quotes containing the words devil and/or venom:
“Does the devil possess you? You’re leaping over the hedge before you come at the stile.”
—Miguel De Cervantes (1547–1616)
“The venom clamors of a jealous woman
Poisons more deadly than a mad dog’s tooth.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)