The ROCKET was a rocket pack model manufactured by Zim Systems and used by the Galactic Republic's Rocket-Jumper Elite Advance Unit. It had four rocket outriggers used for controlling midair pitch and roll and generated thrust via the use of a chemical fuel cell. The latter allowed for the operation of the rocket pack in outer space but also introduced the risk of fatal explosion if hit by a shot in combat.

Introduced around 11,000 BBY, the ROCKET saw continued service with the Republic rocket-jumpers for at least seven thousand years, and its famed use by the unit led to rocket packs in general being a romanticized, if outdated, mode of transportation by the time of the Galactic Empire. In 5 ABY, the weapons collector Doctor Itlar noted that the majority of the ROCKET units were still functional by that time.

Description[]

The ROCKET was a model of rocket pack manufactured by Zim Systems.^[1] It consisted of four rocket outriggers that were used for controlling midair pitch and roll^[2] and were connected to a metal frame that held the wearer's backpack. At the front were attached two armored shoulder pads as well as straps for securing the rocket pack.^[1]

The rocket pack contained a cell of combustible chemical^[1] solid^[2] fuel that provided thrust.^[1] Unlike with jetpacks,^[4] the rocket packs' design did not require outside air to operate, allowing for their^[1] optimal^[2] use in outer space as well. A ROCKET fuel cell had the capacity of ten charges, with each charge allowing the rocket pack to carry eighty kilograms either forty meters vertically or 120 meters horizontally. The chemical fuel cell of ROCKET also introduced a vulnerability due to the risk that it could explode^[1] with nearly guaranteed fatal consequences for the wearer^[2] if hit by a shot during combat.^[1] ROCKET weighed between forty and sixty kilograms^[2] and cost 750 credits. It was^[1] a specialized item that was only available for sale in large cities and spaceports.^[5]

ROCKET was the most iconic piece of equipment of the Rocket-Jumper Elite Advance Unit of the Galactic Republic's Army. On most surface missions, the rocket-jumpers performed low-altitude jumps from Republic troop carriers; however, on surprise insertions they were instead typically dropped from high altitude and then free-fell until they were less than one hundred meters from the ground, at which point the troopers would ignite their rocket packs to rapidly slow their descent in time for a gentle landing.^[2] The rocket-jumpers frequently made extensive modifications to their ROCKETs in order to increase their combat performance,^[1] with the weapons collector Doctor Itlar noting in that regard the similarity to swoopers modifying their vehicles.^[3]

History[]

The ROCKET-wielding Republic rocket-jumpers came into being around 11,000 BBY^[2] when advances in^[6] reliable rocket pack technology allowed for the reinvention of previous forces using powered paragliders. The ROCKET continued to see service for at least seven thousand years^[2] and was still in use by the time of the Second Battle of Onderon^[7] in 3998 BBY.^[8] The rocket-jumper unit was dissolved in 1000 BBY along with the rest of the Republic Military as part of the Ruusan Reformation.^[2]

During the years leading up to their Coreward raids, which began more than four millennia before the Battle of Yavin, the Mandalorian Crusaders, one of the earliest incarnations of the Mandalorian warrior culture that was known for its heavy use of jetpacks in battle, studied and improved military technology they had captured, including Republic rocket packs.^[9] By the time of the reign of the Galactic Empire,^[4] which began in 19 BBY,^[8] the use of personal rocket packs was considered outdated,^[4] with the design of ROCKET being obsolete.^[3]

However, the Republic rocket-jumpers' famed use of the rocket packs led to the conveyances being perennially romanticized.^[4] In 5 ABY,^[10] Doctor Itlar noted in an edition of the Gundark's Gear Datalog black market catalogue that, despite the age of their design, most of the ROCKET units were still functional by that time, although Itlar warned that the rocket packs' fuel delivery system needed modification to allow their use in tandem with contemporary propellants.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

The rocket packs of the Rocket-Jumper Elite Advance Unit first appeared in the second issue of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi — The Freedon Nadd Uprising comic book mini-series. The issue was written by Tom Veitch, penciled by Tony Akins,^[7] and published on September 6, 1994.^[11] In 1996, the rocket pack was first identified as ROCKET in the Tales of the Jedi Companion, a sourcebook authored by George R. Strayton for use with West End Games' Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.^[1]

The rocket-jumper rocket packs were originally meant to be mentioned in the 2012 reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart; however, the section that would have mentioned the devices was cut before the book's release. The information regarding the rocket packs was later released in 2014 as part of Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut, a series of articles published on the StarWars.com Blog by Fry and^[6] Del Rey editor^[12] Erich Schoeneweiss containing various cut content from The Essential Guide to Warfare. The section, which drew upon material introduced in^[6] a chapter of the 2009 Wizards of the Coast Star Wars Roleplaying Game sourcebook Galaxy at War^[2] authored by Daniel Wallace, continued^[6] that book's practice of^[2] erroneously^[1][4] describing the ROCKET as a jetpack^[6] instead of a rocket pack.^[1]

Appearances[]

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• Tales of the Jedi audio drama (Mentioned only)
• Tales of the Jedi – The Freedon Nadd Uprising 2 (First appearance)

Sources[]

• "Straight from the Horse's Mouth: A Guide to the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Universe, Part 3" — Star Wars Insider 28 (Indirect mention only)
• Tales of the Jedi Companion (First identified as ROCKET)
• Rules of Engagement: The Rebel SpecForce Handbook (Indirect mention only)
• Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear
• Star Wars Encyclopedia (Indirect mention only)
• A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded (Indirect mention only)
• "The History of the Mandalorians" — Star Wars Insider 80 (Indirect mention only)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III ("rocket-jumper") (Indirect mention only)
• Galaxy at War
• The Essential Guide to Warfare (Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare Author's Cut, Part 4: The Rise of the Republic on StarWars.com (article) (backup link)

Notes and references[]