JoSH@RUTGERS.ARPA (11/22/83)
From: JoSH <JoSH@RUTGERS.ARPA> I'm wondering if anyone knows any more about the following project. This is a condensation of an article that appeared in Commercial Space Report and in Claustrophobia: The subject is a launch vehicle called Seadragon (and the 20-year development program Truax plans to culminate in it). The basic idea is to make it super huge, 40 million pounds, so that the efficiencies of scale allow it to be built with ordinary (shipbuilding) construction techniques and materials. The design is unconventional. Liquid fuel, low pressure, single engine rockets. First stage LOX and RP-1 (what's RP-1?) operating at 300 psi (!), second stage LOX/LH 60 psi (!!). The second stage has a large umbrella-like extension for the nozzle which is wrapped around the first stage before separation. Sea-launched. Both stages sea-recovered. Payload to LEO of 1.5 million pounds. They are shooting for $20/lb. Sounds intriguing. --JoSH -------
@S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:linnig%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa (05/05/85)
From: Mike_Linnig <linnig%ti-eg.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>
Wasn't Mr. truax the man who helped build the rocket cycle that evil kinevil
(sp?) used to try to jump the grand canyon?
Wasn't there a tv series (Starring Andy Griffith?) about a space parts
collector that made his own rockets based on (very loosely) on Truax?
-- Mike Linnig
"I'll watch anything [with a space plot]"@S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:amon@cmu-ri-fas.arpa (05/08/85)
From: Dale.Amon@CMU-RI-FAS The last time I heard, Truax he was talking about a test launch in a year or two with a man cramped into a nosecone for a suborbital flight and with a parachute landing in the ocean. The rocket was at one time named 'Volksrocket'. It consists of various pieces of old rocket hardware plus a number of Truax designed pieces. It is also true that he designed the rocket bike the Evil Knevil used in his attempt to jump the grand canyon. The attempt failed and Evil parachuted into the canyon. It is also true that Salvage One with Andy Griffith was somewhat loosely based on him. Truax was at one time involved with military rocket design, but I believe he lost his job during the McCarthy purges. The man is not an amateur.
@S1-A.ARPA:host.MIT-MC.ARPA (05/10/85)
From: conrad <@csnet-relay.arpa,@ucsc.CSNET:conrad@ucsc.CSNET (Al Conrad)> I spoke with Robert Truax last month at the "Future Expo" in San Francisco where he had a booth to drum up money. His project is now called "Project Private Enterprise". He had his rocket there (which fits on a trailer that could be pulled by a truck). Evidently, they are coming up on the parachute deployment test, in which they drop it from a helicopter. The pacing item for the test launch was the arrival of some new component for the rocket engine. The plan is still to shoot the astronaut up 50 miles (loose definition of 'in space') and out over the Pacific Ocean. Potential launch sites include the place in Oxnard that is building the fake space hotel, a spot near Monterey, and I believe a spot near San Diego. I visited Truax at his home several times seven years ago and, in my oppinion, his project is making methodical (albeit slow) progress. As before, we talked mostly about his use of computers, which in the past were used exclusively for the collection and analysis of rocket test data. He now, however, is using a personal computer for the pre-launch checklist and this may evolve into a semi-automated launch sequence. I think projects like Truax's need the support of space enthusiasts. Did anyone catch the public television, Martin Sheen special on the history of space exploration that aired last night? The documentary showed that throughout history space enthusiasts start out as idealistic innovators, but inevitably get sucked into huge military projects (V2, ICBM, SDI, ... ) because that's where the resources are. Al Conrad