Rocket Science

Rocket Science app is a spaceflight simulator game that allows the user to plan and simulate a rocket powered spaceflight mission, right from their mobile device. As in the real world, the user is prompted to plan a mission, perform certain preparatory calculations, review the results, and observe the flight using a visual simulator. Additionally, the user can export their simulation results to the device and later access them outside the app.

Once the app is loaded, the user can start with planning their mission. User can load the mission configuration from the list of available standard built-in profiles, along with previously created and saved missions, or create their own.

Creating a mission plan includes selecting a geographic location for the launch site, as well as configuring the launch vehicle.

For selecting the launch site, manually enter its latitude and longitude coordinates, or load it from the list of standard or previously saved launch site locations. The user can also simply pick a location using an interactive map interface, including setting their current location as the launch site.

To configure the launch vehicle, you can specify the number of stages, their propellant loads, the number of engines as well as fine tune the throttle percentage for each stage propulsion. Payload is set to be unchangeable and represents a manned spacecraft with a command module, service module, and a launch escape tower assembly. The only configurable parameter for the payload is the amount of propellants the service module is loaded with, for orbital maneuvering.

In addition to the stages and the payload, the user can configure in-flight maneuvers which the vehicle will perform, including the initial pitchover, thrust throttleback, orbital boosts and deorbit.

Once the mission is planned, perform mission preparation. To accomplish this, the app employs Newtonian physics-based computations, taking into account available models of the Earth, its atmosphere and local elevations. After the preparation is complete, review the results, see how it plays out in a visual simulator, as well as export the data for use outside the app.

When reviewing the results, see the list of the most significant mission parameters, the list of major mission events, and examine diagrams that represent progression of mission variables throughout its course.

When in flight simulator mode, the user can observe the entire flight from beginning to the end of the simulation. User has the ability to control the playback by playing it with normal speed, pausing, reversing, as well as fast forwarding and skipping time intervals, in both forward and backwards directions. User can also switch between viewing the mission from above the vehicle against the backdrop of the Earth, and looking at the vehicle from its side, as it passes through various altitudes. Monitoring various flight variables, as well as viewing the vehicle ground track position on the map of the world is also possible.

The main menu export feature can also be used to save the results of simulation for access outside the app.

For more information about the app and how to use it, please refer to the user manual, which can be accessed from inside the app.