Astrobee

Astrobee is the designation of series of American sounding rockets with one to three stages.

Designed by Aerojet, this family of solid-propellant rockets was conceived as a lower-cost replacement of the liquid-propellant Aerobee.

Versions

Astrobee 500

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. It was launched one time in 1960.

Astrobee 1500

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. It was launched ten times between 1961 and 1969.

Astrobee 200

The two-stage Astrobee 200 (first stage: Nike, 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

Astrobee D

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. It was launched forty-two times between 1970 and 1980.

Astrobee F

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. It was launched forty-nine times between 1972 and 1983.

References

  1. 1 2 "Astrobee". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  2. 1 2 3 "Astrobee 500". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Astrobee-500". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Astrobee 1500". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  5. 1 2 3 "Astrobee 200". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  6. 1 2 3 "Astrobee D". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Astrobee-D". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  8. 1 2 3 "Astrobee F". astronautix.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Astrobee-F". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  10. ↑ "Aerojet General Astrobee". www.designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  11. ↑ "Astrobee-200". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
  12. ↑ Bollermann, B. (May 1, 1971). "Astrobee D". Study of 30 km to 200 km meteorological rocket sounding systems. Vol. 2 - Recent advancements. NASA. pp. 104–105. NASA-CR-1790.