Rocket booster

The rocket booster, also known as an altitude jet or rocket thruster, was a rocket propulsion system produced by Brooks Propulsion Devices for use with Industrial Automaton R-series astromech droids. Similar devices were designed for a variety of droids throughout galactic history.

Characteristics

Rocket boosters were incorporated into the two side-mounted legs of astromechs, allowing them to achieve flight for a limited period of time. These extendable boosters were adjustable to allow for varying altitudes.

History

Shortly before the Clone Wars in 13:5:9, Industrial Automaton was forced to pay a costly out-of-court settlement to a Sump port worker after a falling astromech injured them. While rocket boosters had previously been advertised with a guaranteed "lifetime" of reliability, the settlement forced IA to cap the warranty for optional R2, R3, and R4-adapted leg-bracket and barrel-housed propellant rocket systems at twenty standard years to avoid future legal troubles. After this period was up, IA recommended that the rocket boosters be swapped out.^[1]

Brooks Propulsion Devices was shut down by the Galactic Empire following the Clone Wars, bringing an end to their line of rocket boosters. Droids such as R2-D0 and R2-D2 retained their booster systems, though the latter ultimately damaged his booster components, rendering him unable to achieve flight.