Thermal rocket initiator mechanism and rocket system incorporating same

A method for providing a thermal rocket initiator mechanism, comprising:

• providing a housing;
• providing a primer carriage being translatable within the housing;
• providing a percussion primer being disposed within the primer carriage;
• providing a pair of actuator rods being disposed within the housing, wherein one of the pair of actuator rods is coupled to the primer carriage and the other of the pair of actuator rods is coupled to the housing;
• and
• providing a rocker arm coupling the pair of actuator rods to one another,
• wherein the pair of actuator rods are manufactured from a shape memory alloy that changes dimensions upon heating to an alloy transition temperature, thereby translate the primer carriage within the housing and correspondingly to actuate the percussion primer.

A rocket system, comprising:

• a thermal rocket initiator mechanism, comprising:
• a housing;
• a primer carriage being translatable within the housing;
• a percussion primer being disposed within the primer carriage;
• a pair of actuator rods being disposed within the housing, wherein one of the pair of actuator rods is coupled to the primer carriage and the other of the pair of actuator rods is coupled to the housing;
• and
• a rocker arm coupling the pair of actuator rods to one another,
• wherein the pair of actuator rods are manufactured from a shape memory alloy that changes dimensions upon heating to an alloy transition temperature, thereby translate the primer carriage within the housing and correspondingly to actuate the percussion primer;
• and
• a rocket motor igniter being actuated by the percussion primer of the thermal rocket initiator mechanism.