Who designed the rocket motor?
While hybrid motors are not new, the configuration designed by Scaled for SpaceShipOne was unique with its fuel case and nozzle cantilevered off the main oxidizer tank, which in turn, formed part of the vehicle’s aft fuselage. Burt applied for a patent for the new configuration. Its largest components, the oxidizer tank and fuel casing, are Scaled-designed composite structure. The development and testing of the rocket hardware – injectors, valves, controls, ignition systems and fuel characteristics – was done by two competing, independent rocket companies, eAc and SpaceDev.
