Phobos 3

Soon after the launch of Phobos-2 early in 2000, MARS set themselves the goal of setting a new UK record that same year, that was high enough that no other Uk group would be able to break it for some time.

Phobos-3 was originally designed to be launched from a remote site in the UK. The rocket was to be of the same boosted dart design used in Phobos-2. This time, a larger, 42mm diameter fibreglass dart would be lifted by a more powerful M-class booster, three times as powerful as the motor used in Phobos-2, hurling the dart to a predicted altitude of over 25,000 feet. With the inception of the Phobos-EAV project in July 2000 however, the Phobos-3 project was re-evaluated as a back-up vehicle to be launched from the Black Rock desert at the same time as Phobos-EAV, thus giving the group two chances to set a new UK record.

The rocket was finally launched the same day as the successful launch of Phobos-EAV, with just the dart payload bay hard mounted to the booster instead of being allowed to separate.

The rocket was powered by an experimental 5.5kNs solid propellant rocket motor using a zinc/titanium enhanced propellant formulation, and reached a recorded altitude of over 15,900 feet. The rocket recovered safely by parachute, 1/2 km downrange.

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