Certified By The
Space Foundation

The Space Foundation seal of approval means the product is useful for teaching real-world space science.

Run on Windows OS

It is the most commonly used computer.

Run on Macintosh OS X

If you can't share your designs with all computer users, including those that use a Mac, you're limiting yourself on whom you can show off your great designs.

Calculate The Weight Of The Rocket.

When you know the weight, you can get an estimation of how big of a rocket motor you'll need to launch it.

Calculate The CG Of The Rocket

Allows you to make major changes to the design so it will be stable when launched.

Static Stability Prediction

Figures out if the rocket will fly straight.

On-The-Fly Stability Calculation

Makes it faster to use the software by saving you from clicking a mouse button constantly, just to run the calculations.

Compare Three Different Stability Methods, Like The RockSim, Barrowman vs Cardboard Cut-Out

Educational value. You can see why the cardboard method is overly conservative.

Dynamic Stability Prediction

Shows you not only how high the rocket will fly, but what the path the trajectory will take.

Altitude and Velocity Prediction

You want to know how high the rocket is going to fly, don't you?

Display A Movie-Like Animation Of The Flight Trajectory

Allows you to really see if the rocket is stable, and how it will behave when launched.

Parachute Size Calculator

Software pre-picks a size which will allows for a safe descent. This saves time and effort.

Parachute Descent Prediction

Lets you pick how big a chute you'll need for a nice soft landing; but not so big that the model drifts away.

Streamer Descent Prediction

Is the streamer you're using going to slow the rocket down enough? You don't want a hard landing, do you?

Landing Zone Prediction

Tells you where you can expect the rocket to touch down due to wind drift. You don't want to lose the rocket on the first launch, do you?

Booster-Stage Landing Zone Prediction

RockSim allows you to put parachutes in booster stages, so you will want to know where these will land too.

Total Flight Time Prediction

The flight time is crucial in many competitions, like precision duration.

Create Tube Fins

You can make rockets that have tubes strapped to the side of the rocket that act like fins.

Create Ring Tail Fins

Another unique configuration that allows use to be more creative with your designs

Curved-Edge Free-form Fins

If you design fins with curved sides, you'll need this feature. Otherwise, you're limited to trapezoids and simple ellipses. Some inferior programs only allow 4 points on the fin, which isn't really "free-form."

Pick Engine Ejection Delays

This allows you to see where during the flight the rocket will eject, so the descent time can be determined.

Simulation Results Saved With The Rocket Design

If the software doesn't save results, you have to rerun the same simulation over and over to compare against other simulations

Interdigitated Fins Permissible

Example: Two stage rocket, where the fins on each stage are rotated, so they don't line up.

Single Fins & Wings

Design rockets that look like airplanes, with just two wings, and a single vertical tail fin.

Through-The-Wall Fin Tabs

The tabs add extra weight to the rocket which can affect the stability of the design.

Attach Fins To Curved Transition Sections

Allows you to make a boattail from a plastic nose cone, and attach the fins to them. When you print out the templates, the root edge is curved so you can get a tight fit of the fin.

Fins That Span Over The Joint Between A Tube and Transition.

Like attaching fins to a curved boattail, you want a tight fit from the fin pattern you print.

CG And Mass Override

Allows you to tune the simulations for increased accuracy based on the "as-built" rocket configuration.

Unlimited Cluster Configurations

You can mix different motor sizes in a cluster mount, and print out pattern sheets so you can build your rocket.

Centering Ring Patterns For Complex Clusters Change as Engine Configurations Change.

Allows you to change your engine mounts, and then print out new centering rings with the correct hole patterns.

Add Centering Rings Inside Transition Sections

Allows for rocket rocket engines placed within tapered boattails.

Simulatea Air-Started Motors

Allows you to simulate some motors within the cluster that are ignited while the rocket is already in the air.

Drag Prediction

Without it, your software is just guessing at how high the rocket will travel.

Drag Coefficient Can Be Broken Down Into Its Sub-Components

Each part, like nose cones, fins, and launch lugs contributes to the overall drag of the rocket. When you look at this, you can optimize your design to fly higher.

Drag Changes With Angle-of-Attack.

This gives you more accurate simulations, because when wind is blowing, the rocket is always traveling at an angle-of-attack.

Override The Atmospheric Conditions Like Temperature, Pressure, And Humidity.

Your simulations mean nothing if it isn't based on actual flying conditions.

Change The Launch Angle

Allows you to adjust the flight for wind conditions to get the best altitude, or to land close to the launch pad.

C_d Override for Each Stage In The Rocket

Gives you more accurate simulations, based on previous flight tests.

Optimum Mass Prediction

Allows you to design rocket to achieve peak efficiency so they travel the highest.

Malewicki Plot of Mass vs Altitude

Shows how much altitude you'd lose by having a rocket too heavy or too light.

View Rocket In 3D with realistic lighting and shadows

See what it will look like before you actually build it. Also allows you to quickly show off your creation to others.

Create And Position Parts While In 3D Graphics Mode

Some people visualize concepts better by actually seeing something in 3D rather than just a line-drawing of a part.

Stereoscopic 3D View

OK… this one is just for fun. The rocket hovers in space and you giggle at people as they try to touch it with their hands. 3D glasses not included (the ones with the red and blue lenses)

Select From Millions Of Colors For Each Part In The Rocket

Makes it easier to tell components apart, especially in complex models. When displaying the model in 3D, it looks more realistic.

Zoom In On The Rocket Image In Both 2D and 3D View Modes.

Makes positioning parts (such as through-the-wall fin tabs) more accurate.

Export Simulation Data

Allows you to perform additional data mining in spreadsheets programs.

Print Fin Templates

Make pattern sheets so you build your rocket quickly.

Print Out Transition Shroud Pattern Sheets

Makes it quicker for you to build complex looking rockets.

Print Out Parts Lists

Useful because is lets you gather parts together before assembling the rocket.

Print A Detailed Report Of The Rocket Simulation

Take this to the launch range to help you set up the flight to ensure maximum success.

Print A Summary Sheet Of All Simulations Performed

Useful to take with to the range, so you can get a quick idea of what motor to use based on field size and launch conditions.

Predict Stability of Booster Stages

You'll know if each booster stage will tumble to the ground, or if it will require a parachute to keep it from landing too hard.

Extensive Parts Database

Allows you to design your rocket faster. But you should still be able to create your own custom parts too.

Customize Your Parts Database

When you can organize your database to your tastes, you'll design rockets faster.

Materials Database Includes Exotic Substances Like Epoxy and Fiberglass

This allows you to quickly design your rocket, knowing that the weight the software predicts will be accurate.

Extensive Motor Database

Run simulations with the motors you can actually find and buy.

Easy To Add Custom Or New Motors Into The Software

Allows you to expand the software as technology advances.

Motor File Allows For Hybrid Motors, Where The CG Shifts Aft Instead of Forward.

Gives you a more accurate simulation if you are using hybrid type rocket engines.

Rocket Can Travel At Transonic and Supersonic Speeds (up to Mach 2)

If you want to fly high and fast, your software has to be able to predict how the drag changes with Mach number.

Display A Graph Showing How C_d Changes With Speed.

Educational. Allows you to know what speed to avoid to achieve the highest altitude.

Atmospheric conditions vary as altitude increases.

The air gets thinner and temperature decreases the higher the rocket travels. This affects the C_d, and therefore the altitude the rocket achieves.

Speed-of-Sound Varies With Air Temperature and Altitude

Just like in real life, the speed of sound changes, so you want a program that will give you accurate information about how fast your rocket really flies and at what Mach Number.

Thermals (Rising Columns Of Air) Modeled In Atmosphere.

Thermals change the landing location.

Realistic Atmosphere Model

You want results that are close to real-world conditions, right?

Game-Like Competitions Within The Software

Makes the software fun to use. Lets you test your designs against models made by others.

Dual Parachute Deployment

Allows you to simulate two types of parachutes being used during descent, a drogue and a large main chute. VERY useful for high power rockets.

Dual Parachute Deployment for Booster Stages Too!

If your rocket is going to fly really high with multiple stages, you may want to use dual deployment for all the stages in the design.

Simulate Altimeter-Based Parachute Deployments

Allows you to see where the rocket will land when you use an altimeter for parachute ejection.

Simulate Timer Ejection

You can see how high the rocket will be when you use an electronic timer to deploy the chute.

Accurate Numeric Calculations, Such as Runge-Kutta Iterations.

Gives you the most accurate simulations in the shortest amount of computation time.

On-The-Fly Unit Conversion

Pick the units that are most comfortable to you, so you can make the most informed decisions about your rockets. It is hard to make choices when the you are not familiar with the units displayed on the screen.

Show Decals On The 3D Drawing.

See what the design will look like, so you can modify the decals to better fit the model to make it look spectacular.

Simulate Delayed Staging

Example: Drop off the booster stage, and the upper stage coasts for a bit before igniting. This allows the rocket to fly higher by reducing drag.

Advanced Nose Cone Shapes, Such as Von Karman shape.

Make lots of different looking rockets just by changing the shape of the nose cone.

Export the 2D rocket drawing in SVG format

Allows you to open up the design in a drawing program like Adobe Illustrator. You can then use your drawings in your club's newsletter, and they'll be crisp and clean. These can also be used on web sites, so you can show off your designs.

Sample Designs Included

Help you learn quickly by comparing your designs against those made by someone else.

Extensive Kit Designs In The Database or Available On The Internet

Lets you try out a lot of kits before you actually buy them.

Detailed "HELP" File

So you can be sure the question you have on how to use the software is quickly answered.

Design Any Size Rocket

If the database doesn't contain a lot of HPR parts, you're limited in the size of models you can build, or you'll spend more time entering dimensions.

Design Up To A 3-Stage Rocket, With Any Number Of Motors In Each Stage.

The more stages and the greater number of motors in each stage, the higher the rocket flies.

Compatible With Key Rocketry Manufacturers

Using the same software that is used by the most important rocketry manufacturers allows you to download their kits from their web site.

Print Out Graphs With 67 Different Flight Variables

Educational value: Lets you study in depth what is happening on your rocket's flight.

Edit Previously Performed Simulations

Allows you to reload motor combinations without going through the process of adding them all over again. This saves you key-strokes, and lets you run simulations faster.

Automatic Software Updates

Software automatically checks for updates, so you'll have the latest version running.

Export Rocket as a 3D model

So you can display your rocket in other 3D graphics programs, without redrawing it from scratch.

Export 3D image as a JPG

You can display the rocket on your web site or in a club's newsletter for others to see your design aptitude.

Easy-to-Learn Interface

You want to be up and running as soon as possible, so you can start designing awesome rockets. Right?

Software Anticipates Your Design Style

It saves you keystrokes and allows you to design rockets faster when it automatically brings up the parts database when you add a new component in the design.

Copy And Paste Parts

Allows you to input repetitive parts like centering rings and identical booster stages more quickly into the design file.

Position Parts In "Relative Locations"

Allows you to design rockets, just like you'd build them. For example, a centering ring is located from one end of a body tube, not measured from the tip of the nose cone.

Group Parts Into Sub-Assemblies

Allows you to take common items, like engine mounts, and share them between different rocket designs.

FREE Technical Support Via Phone, Fax or Email

Many software developers charge $30 or more per incident. Getting answers quickly and free is outstanding.

Simulate Boosted Darts

Boosted darts are unpowered stages, so simulating them is a bonus.

Force Vectors Displayed On 2D Flight Animation

A great learning tool to show students the forces acting on a rocket during flight.

Colored Smoke On 2D Flight Animation

You can set each stage to a different color, which makes it easier to see when one stage stops burning, and the next starts.

Display Flight Variables Next To The 2D Animation

Allows you to step through the flight, comparing the picture with the flight data, as it occurs. A great tool for learning about rocket science.

"Design-like-you-build" architecture philosophy

Makes it easier to learn how to use the software. For example: rocket motors are inserted into tubes designated as "engine mounts," not just anywhere in the rocket.

Here are a few more screen shots to show you how RockSim makes you more productive in designing great rockets.

"My son and I designed our first custom rocket using RockSim and your book. It flew beautifully... I cannot believe how well the book and the software work together... Basically, you saved us weeks of trial-and-error." -- Dave and Kevin Kress