Documentation of
various projects related to rocketry pioneer
Robert
C. Truax
(PDF)
Truax
Engineering
(PDF)
This must read overview of Truax Engineering by R.C.
Truax details the
Enterprise
Phase I suborbital and
Excalibur
Phase II shuttle alternative rockets, and the
ultimate goal of the 20,000 ton
Sea Dragon
with a 1,000 ton payload capability at a
projected cost of $20/lb (in 1983 dollars) in
support of a manned mission to Mars or lunar base.
This document outlines why the Space Shuttle was
never a very good idea and stresses the concepts
of reusability and simplicity to attain low-cost.
NASA continues to ignore these concepts despite
the conclusions of the
Sea
Bee
, Sea Horse
,
and
Sea Dragon
programs at
Aerojet-General
in the early sixties (subsequently verified by a
contract given to TRW) contending that the
pressure fed propulsion approach is "technically
uninteresting".
Sea
Dragon
|
Sea Dragon
Stage I Propulsion System Layout
|
Aerojet
General Sea Dragon Concept
Technical Report
|
NASA-CR-52817
(8.3
MB PDF)
Volume 1: Summary
|
NASA-CR-51304
(11.7
MB PDF)
Volume
3
|
From
Canyons to Cosmos
(PDF)
This excerpt from the chapter entitled
"Truax"
in the book
Great Mambo
Chicken and the Transhuman Condition
by Ed Regis appeared in the October/November 1990
issue of
Air & Space
and
picks up the story of the X-3 and
Project Private Enterprise
which began shortly after Evel Knievel's failed
1974 Snake River Canyon jump.
Rockets From The Sea
(PDF)
This article by William H. Ganoe published in the
July/August 1990 issue of
Ad
Astra
summarizes the award
of the NCST (Naval Center for Space Technology)
SEALAR
contract to Truax Engineering.
Panel
Seeks Competition Of Navy, USAF Launchers
(PDF)
This article published in the July 30, 1990 issue
of Aviation Week describes a Senate proposal for
a competition between the Navy's SEALAR program
and the Air Force's ALS program to spurn the
development of a low-cost launch vehicle. Despite
this effort (or perhaps because of it) the SEALAR
contract was abruptly canceled in late 1991.
Navy
Barge
(PDF)
This short article published in the April 8, 1991
issue of Aviation Week describes the background
of the surplus Navy barge we modified for
performing the X-3 static firings in Redwood City
Harbor and includes a photo of the NRL's drop
test rocket and the inflatable ballute recovery
system being tested. It also mentions the
parasail recovery technique that was being
developed by the NRL and DARPA which I
unfortunately have no data on.
Truax/Goddard Navy History
(PDF)
This document from the Naval History Office
recalls Truax's early pioneering rocket
propulsion research at Annapolis and his later
work with Dr. Robert H. Goddard which resulted in
the development of the liquid propellant JATO
unit for the PBY aircraft and laid the groundwork
for the Navy's use of rocket power in guided
missles.
Truax Air Force/Navy History
(PDF)
This document from the Naval History Office
recalls Truax's work to develop the submarine
launched ballistic missle concept, his work with
the Air Force to develop the Thor IRBM, and his
later work at ARPA where he contuined to be a
champion of the use of space.
Rocket Engines For Outer Space
(PDF)
This early article written by Truax at the USAF
Western Development Divsion details design
considerations for optimizing rocket engine
performance for use in outer space.
Courtesy of Charles Pooley
at
Microlaunchers
LEO on the
Cheap
(External Lnk)
Methods for Achieving
Drastic Reductions In Space Launch Costs
- This excellent 1994 study by Lt. Col. John R.
London III (USAF) for the AFMC Air Univeristy
includes numerous references citing Truax's
publications and concepts and is a good starting
point for further research.
Truax
Engineering Multimedia Archive: Images
A collection of personal photographs.
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