[hinkley]

Tempering is used to reduce brittleness in metal.

But I think the word GP was looking for was annealing. Annealed metal bends quite easily (that's the analogy in 'simulated annealing' in optimization theory). For instance the wire bonsai practitioners use is traditionally made of annealed copper. Copper is already pretty ductile but once annealed it's positively floppy. Bending it work-hardens it, causing it to stiffen back up. Eventually one learns that if you bend it just so, it will stay where you wanted it to stay.

You do not want your space craft reconfiguring itself.

[elif]

Tempering is the correct terminology. Annealing is a slow and controlled heating, gradually reducing the heat over time.

from Wikipedia:

"Tempering [...] is done by heating the metal to some temperature below the critical point for a certain period of time, then allowing it to cool in still air."

Here's a good description https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/difference-annealing-tempe...