The Rocket 3, developed by Astra, is one of the smallest commercial vehicles, with a height of 11.4 metres and a payload to SSO of ~150kg. In order to lower costs as much as possible, it is built with common tools, techniques, and materials.

After blowing up six of them, they finally got one to orbit on the 20th of November, 2021.
They're lucky these things are cheap.


User Manual

Comes with a small camera satellite.

Ascent

  1. Set pitch to 90d until apoapsis exceeds 1km.
  2. Set pitch to 89d until apoapsis exceeds 2km.
  3. Keep pitch 2d ahead of prograde until apoapsis exceeds 13km. If you have not achieved 13km apoapsis with at least 50% fuel remaining, you are not going to space today.
  4. Keep pitch 5d ahead of prograde until pitch equals 45d.
  5. Set pitch to 0d when apoapsis exceeds 100km.
  6. On stage burnout, stage IMMEDIATELY.
  7. Keep pitch at 0d until apoapsis.
  8. Set pitch to 5d until periapsis exceeds 80km.
  9. Perform orbit correction maneuvers, circularisation, etc.

If you've done this correctly, you'll end up in orbit with approximately 10-15% fuel remaining.

There is... basically no margin for error on this vehicle because it's so small.

Notes

Something small and cheap for challenges and stuff.

The second stage is not accurate to the actual vehicle because of a lack of details, lack of margin, and the difficulty of building spherical tanks.

GENERAL INFO

  • Successors 1 craft(s)
  • Created On: Windows
  • Game Version: 0.9.508.0
  • Price: $580k
  • Number of Parts: 39
  • Dimensions: 13 m x 2 m x 2 m

PERFORMANCE

  • Total Delta V: 5.7km/s
  • Total Thrust: 140kN
  • Engines: 6
  • Wet Mass: 7,886kg
  • Dry Mass: 1,810kg

STAGES

Stage Engines Delta V Thrust Burn Mass
1 5 2.9km/s 135kN 1.6m 7,640kg
2 1 2.7km/s 6kN 4.9m 959kg

6 Comments

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  • Profile image
    150 Astrokean

    How you make the logos bro?

    3.1 years ago
  • Profile image

    Just a booomer rocket

    3.1 years ago
  • Profile image

    Seems the starting TWR is too powerful. TWR is supposed to be 1.25, not 1.75. Which is why the vehicle hovered off the pad.

    Contrary to Astra belief, a rocket powerslide is when the rocket has too much power and turns inside of the gravity turn to keep on nominal trajectory.

    3.3 years ago
  • Profile image
    227 AstroLab

    @dagriefaa #Powerslide

    3.3 years ago
  • Profile image
    660 dagriefaa

    @AstroLab anything can drift if you try hard enough :^)

    i really hope they get the next one right, though

    3.3 years ago
  • Profile image
    227 AstroLab

    But can it drift?

    3.3 years ago

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