Rocketry Planet

GALLERY: OpenRocket, a new open-source design and flight simulation program, is free to use.

The main rocket design window is used to design the rocket and it also provides information about a flight simulation in real-time.

WORLD WIDE WEB — A new model rocket design and flight simulation software package has been earning good reviews even though the product is still in the beta testing stage.

OpenRocket, a free and fully featured model rocket simulator program, is Open Source and was written in Java by Sampo Niskanen as part of his Master's thesis work at Helsinki University of Technology.

The program was created to be used to design and simulate hobby rockets before you actually begin construction.  Featuring a full six-degrees-of-freedom simulation, realistic wind modeling, a multitude of installed construction components including support for free-form and canted fins, as well as clustering and staging, the program is rich on extras.

As an Open Source package, the program's source code is available free to study and extend under the GNU General Public License.  Interested parties simply download the source code and start modifying as they see fit, or can download a ready-to-run package to install and start designing.

OpenRocket requires Java version 6 or later, and the Sun JRE is recommended.  OpenRocket comes pre-packaged with motor thrust curves from thrustcurve.org.

Website: http://openrocket.sourceforge.net/

Reader comments:

#1 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

If anyone can get it to work on a mac, let me know how.

cwbullet on 10-13-2009 03:24 PM

#2 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Should be pretty easy, see here:
http://java.sun.com/develo...icles/JavaLP/JavaToMac3/

Quote:

Jar Files

If you are going to have to package up the class files for distribution anyways, you may as well produce a jar file. And, if you are going to produce a jar file, it ought to be executable. In the case of the Java Sound Demo, the file JavaSoundDemo.jar is executable. Because Mac OS X ships with the Jar Launcher application, the end user needs only double click on the jar file and the application will launch.

BTW, this is how it works under Windows for me.

Reinhard

Reinhard on 10-13-2009 03:36 PM

#3 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

If anyone can get it to work on a mac, let me know how.

Just double click on the download "Jar" file...Runs fine for me using Snow Leopard....(MacPro 16 gig memory, if that matters !!)

BRC on 10-13-2009 07:39 PM

#4 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

It would be more instructive to post the particular version of Java you have installed (Apple-about this mac-software). It should not matter what version of OSX you run or processor so long as you have updated to the latest Java run time.

Jerry

Just Jerry on 10-13-2009 08:04 PM

#5 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Down loaded it and ran it on OpenSuse Linux 11.0. with supplied Java.

Ran fine. I like it !

I've used wrasp, and Winroc, never used Rocket Sim. I was making rockets, and modifying the example rocket in a few minutes. Tried the flight sim module; it was easy to use, but we'll see how accurate it is.

rocket9005 on 10-13-2009 09:14 PM

#6 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

It would be more instructive to post the particular version of Java you have installed (Apple-about this mac-software). It should not matter what version of OSX you run or processor so long as you have updated to the latest Java run time.

Jerry

OK.. Java 13.0

BRC on 10-14-2009 07:16 AM

#7 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

It would be more instructive to post the particular version of Java you have installed (Apple-about this mac-software). It should not matter what version of OSX you run or processor so long as you have updated to the latest Java run time.

Jerry

(In the same spirit) It would be less preachy to just ask "What version of Java do you have installed."

Steve_Shannon on 10-14-2009 10:38 AM

#8 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

(In the same spirit) It would be less preachy to just ask "What version of Java do you have installed."

(Also in the same spirit) If you can fix that problem, you will become an official rocket god...

frederocket on 10-14-2009 01:20 PM

#9 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

If you can fix that problem, you will become an official rocket god...

"Rocket gods" get that way from a lifetime of interesting accomplishments. Examples, Harry Stine, Vern Estes, Lee Piester, Bill Colburn, Chuck Piper, yes even Gary Rosenfield.

Jerry

Just Jerry on 10-14-2009 02:32 PM

#10 Re: Article: New rocket simulation software is free and open source

Quote:

"Rocket gods" get that way from a lifetime of interesting accomplishments. Examples, Harry Stine, Vern Estes, Lee Piester, Bill Colburn, Chuck Piper, yes even Gary Rosenfield.

Jerry

I agree and I would never even consider that title for myself.

Steve_Shannon on 10-14-2009 02:40 PM

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The main rocket design window is used to design the rocket and it also provides information about a flight simulation in real-time.

The component shape and properties are defined in their own dialog.

You can analyze the effect of individual components on the stability, drag and roll characteristics of the rocket.

The simulation results can be plotted in a multitude of ways. You can either use the predefined plot configurations or define your own.

The simulations are plotted using the JFreeChart plotting library.