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Astrobee is the designation of series of American sounding rockets with one to three stages. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
Designed by Aerojet, this family of solid-propellant rockets was conceived as a lower-cost replacement of the liquid-propellant Aerobee. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
The three-stage Astrobee 500 (first stage: Genius, second stage: Alcor, third stage: Asp) has a ceiling of 1000 km, a takeoff thrust of 161 kN, a takeoff weight of 900 kg, a diameter of 0.38 m and a length of 7.80 m. [2] [3] It was launched one time in 1960. [3]
The three-stage Astrobee 1500 (first stage: Recruit, second stage: Aero jet, third stage: Alcor) has a ceiling of 1000 km, a takeoff thrust of 566 kN, a takeoff weight of 5200 kg, a diameter of 0.79 m and a length of 10.40 m. [4] It was launched ten times between 1961 and 1969. [4]
The two-stage Astrobee 200 (first stage: Genius, second stage: Alcor) has a ceiling of 350 km, a takeoff thrust of 161 kN, a takeoff weight of 800 kg, a diameter of 0.38 m and a length of 6.30 m. It was launched ten times between 1961 and 1966 [5]
The single-stage Astrobee D has a ceiling of 140 km, a takeoff thrust of 23.00 kN, a takeoff weight of 100 kg, a diameter of 0.15 m and a length of 3.90 m. [6] [7] It was launched forty-two times between 1970 and 1980. [7]
The single-stage Astrobee F has a ceiling of 375 km, a takeoff thrust of 178.00 kN, a takeoff weight of 1500 kg, a diameter of 0.38 m and a length of 11.50 m. [8] [9] It was launched forty-nine times between 1972 and 1983. [9]