Robert Truax (1917–2010) was an American rocket engineer and inventor

Robert Truax (1917–2010) was an American rocket engineer and inventor who played a significant role in the development of both military and private rocketry. He is best known for his innovative work in the U.S. Navy, where he contributed to early missile development programs, including the Polaris and Thor missiles, and for his later efforts in promoting private space travel.

After retiring from the Navy, Truax founded his own company, Truax Engineering, and became an advocate for low-cost, reusable rockets. He believed that space exploration should be accessible and affordable, a philosophy that led him to work on several unique projects, including attempts to launch private rockets. One of his most famous endeavors was a collaboration with stuntman Evel Knievel to build a steam-powered rocket called the "Skycycle X-2" for Knievel’s attempted jump over the Snake River Canyon in 1974.