The Astrocam 110 (or Astrocam) is a

model rocket A model rocket are small rockets designed to reach low altitudes (e.g., for model) and be recovered by a variety of means. According to the United States National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Safety Code, model rockets are constructed of p ...

with a built-in camera for taking

aerial photograph Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing ai ...

The Astrocam was introduced in the 1979 Catalog by its manufacturer

Estes Estes is an English-language surname said to derive from Old English and have the meaning "of the East" (literally, "East's"). As a surname, it has been traced to southern Kent, as early as the mid-15th century, Nicholas Estes (Ewstas, Esteuzi) b. 1 ...

and it can be flown with B6-4 and C6-7 model rocket motors (see

Model rocket motor classification Motors for model rockets and high-powered rockets (together, consumer rockets) are classified by total impulse into a set of letter-designated ranges, from ⅛A up to O. The total impulse is the integral of the thrust over burn time. : P_ = \int\ ...

). The Astrocam was available as kit, or as ready-to-fly model. Both versions use the Estes Delta II launch body. The camera uses

110 film 110 is a cartridge-based film format used in still photography. It was introduced by Kodak in 1972. 110 is essentially a miniaturized version of Kodak's earlier 126 film format. Each frame is , with one registration hole. Cartridges with 12, ...

and is mounted in the nose cone of the rocket with the aperture perpendicular to the main axis of the rocket. A mirror held in a hood is used like a

periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...

to enable the camera to look forward. The camera needs to be manually advanced and "cocked" by pulling a string attached to spring-loaded shutter taut. When the

nose cone A nose cone is the conically shaped forwardmost section of a rocket, guided missile or aircraft, designed to modulate oncoming airflow behaviors and minimize aerodynamic drag. Nose cones are also designed for submerged watercraft such a ...

is placed on the rocket body, the string is placed between the nose cone and the body so that when the ejection charge of the engine expels the nose cone, the string is released causing one frame of film to be exposed. Since the rocket is not steerable, the photographer can not determine what the camera will photograph. Stock models of the Astrocam were intended to take their photographs after the rocket had begun to descend after reaching apogee. However, in the Winter 1993 issue of the Estes Educator News magazine, two sets of instructions (Lookdown Astrocam, and the Lookdown Astrocam MK11) were included describing how the camera could be converted to look back down the length of the rocket before reaching apogee, or upon a staging event. Estes catalogs showed some of the photographs from these modified rockets, but they never produced a version designed to look down, or capable of being switched at will. A version of the Astrocam called the Astrocam 110 is also available, and the Estes Snapshot is very similar as well

A modern version of the Astrocam is the Oracle (rocket), Oracle, which shoots video. A newer video version, called the Astrovision, is also available.

External links

Estes company homepage
Model rockets Aerial photography