Hybrid Rockets History

A Brief History of Hybrid Rocket TechnologyHybrid rocket propulsion has been studied and experimented with since the 1930's and possibly earlier. This document aims to give a brief, non-comprehensive overview of the history of hybrid rockets.
Early History (1932-1960)

1932-1933: GIRD-9 (Soviet)- Liquid oxygen (LOX)/Gellified gasoline 60lbf. thrust motor. Built by Tikhonravov and the Korolev group. First flight August, 1933.

1937: Coal/Gaseous Nitrous Oxide hybrid motor (Germany). 2,500lbf. thrust.

1938-1939: LOX/Graphite (Germany) - built by H. Oberth.

1938-1941: Coal/GOX (USA) - built by California Rocket Society.

1947: Douglas Fir/LOX (USA) - built by Pacific Rocket Society.

1951-1956: Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)/Polyethylene (USA) - GE initiates investigation into hybrids.




Era of Enlightenment (1960-1980)

Important research was done at several large aerospace companies in the 1960's including:

Chemical Systems Division of UTC - Testing up to 40 klbf., Li/LiH/PBAN/FLOX motor developed 400s measured Isp, significant modeling efforts.

LPC: Lockheed Propulsion Company.

SRI: Stanford Research Institute.

ONERA (France)

Between 1964 and 1984, several flight systems developed including:

 Target drone programs by Chemical Systems Division of UTC (Sandpiper, HAST, Firebolt).

LEX Sounding Rocket (ONERA, France).
                                                                                                        CSD's Li/LiH/PBAN-F2/O2 Hybrid                                                                                                                          Measured Isp=400 sec
FLGMOTOR Sounding Rocket (Sweden).





Recent History (1981-Present)

1981-1985: Starstruck company developed and sea launched the Dolphin sounding rocket (35 klbf. thrust).

1985-1995: AMROC Continuation of Starstruck.
Tested 10, 33 and 75 klbf. thrust sub-scale motors.
Developed and tested H-1800, a 250 klbf LOX/HTPB motor.

1990's: Hybrid Propulsion Development Program (HPDP).
Successfully launched a small sounding rocket.
Developed and tested 250klbf. thrust LOX/HTPB motors.

1998: First firing of paraffin-based hybrid at Stanford University.

2002: Lockheed developed and flight tested a 24-inch LOX/HTPB sounding rocket called HYSR (60 klbf. thrust).

2003: Scaled Composites and SpaceDev developed 20klbf. Nitrous oxide/HTPB hybrid motor for the sub-orbital manned vehicle SpaceShipOne.