 Because of its stiffness , light weight and dimensional stability over a wide temperature range , beryllium metal is used for lightweight structural components in the defense and aerospace industries in high @-@ speed aircraft , guided missiles , spacecraft , and satellites . Several liquid @-@ fuel rockets have used rocket nozzles made of pure beryllium . Beryllium powder was itself studied as a rocket fuel , but this use has never materialized . A small number of extreme high @-@ end bicycle frames have been built with beryllium . From 1998 to 2000 , the McLaren Formula One team used Mercedes @-@ Benz engines with beryllium @-@ aluminium @-@ alloy pistons . The use of beryllium engine components was banned following a protest by Scuderia Ferrari . 
