The ASTROBEE D III rocket is a modified version of Aerotech's Astrobee D that included 3 strap-on boosters as well as an electronics compartment in the aft section of the main booster. The unique strap-on booster system allows the little booster rockets to drop away from the main vehicle during the flight had everything worked properly. Unfortunately the three strap-on boosters failed to ignite during the lift-off and two of them were later recovered at the crash site several hundred yards away. The ASTROBEE D III mail rocket was retired after only one flight however the overall configuration of the 1 1/2 stage rocket is considered a success.
| Flight Date: | 2012-06-29 |
| Rocket Name: | Astrobee D III |
| Kit Name: | Aerotech - Astrobee D {Kit} (89015) [1989-] |
| Flyer's Name: | Wilfred Ashley McIsaac |
| Motors: | (1) G80-10, (2) C6-0 (Estes), (1) B6-4 (Estes) |
| Expected Altitude: | 2,500 Feet |
| Wind Speed: | 15.00 mph |
| Launch Site: | Gananoque aerodrome |
| Actual Altitude: | 1,600 Feet |
The Astrobee D III rocket crashed ten seconds after lift-off in a cornfield several hundered yards away from the launch pad just outside of Gananoque Ontario, Canada on the morning of June 29th, 2012. On-board the Canadian mail rocket were seven postal letters with Gerhard Zucker 'First Canadian Rocket-Flight' stamps attached. The letters managed to survive after the rocket nose dived from an altitude above 1000 feet. Both on-board camers including a Go pro were destroyed as well as the rocket itself. The crash as well as poor launch site conditions will postpone the final flight of the Canadian rocket mail program until late October or early November 2012.
| Stage | Motor(s) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Loki G80-LW-10 |
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