Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For Students · Rocket Staging

Rocket Staging for a supersonic jet

Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a supersonic jet live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Rocket StagingLive

beating the tyranny of the equation

Controls

Presets

Number of stages

Mass ratio per stage

Specific impulse Isp (s)

The rocket equation grows delta-v only with the logarithm of the mass ratio, so a single stage hauling empty tanks all the way up is hopelessly inefficient. Staging drops dead weight along the way: each stage contributes ve·ln(mass ratio), and their sum easily clears the ~9.4 km/s needed for low Earth orbit.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Δv per stage4.76 km/s

Total Δv9.52 km/s

Reaches LEO?yes

Governing equation

Δ v = i = 1 \sum 2 v_{e, i} ln \frac{m _{0, i}}{m _{f, i}} = 2 \cdot 4.76 = 9.52 km/s

Reading this result: 2 stages at Isp 350s and mass ratio 4 each sum to 9.5 km/s — past the ~9.4 km/s LEO budget, since every stage adds ve·ln(ratio) after dropping dead weight.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for students?: Yes — this version of "Rocket Staging for a supersonic jet" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.