Build your first rocket
FEATURE
nce you’ve tried a rocket kit,
you might want to move up
to something a little more
personalised. Designing your own
rocket can be as simple or complex
as you like. There are a few bits
you need to take into consideration, such as the
estimated height and the stability. Beyond this, you
can complicate things with multiple motors, or by
making scale models of other craft, or you can keep
things simple. You can go for ultimate power, or you
can keep things at a smaller scale. However you do
it though, it’s easier with some design software to
help you. Let’s take a look at how to design a rocket
using OpenRocket, one of the most popular bits of
design software for hobbyists.
OpenRocket helps you understand how different
parts will fit together and how these will affect the
flight characteristics. You can even put the rocket
through a simulation that estimates how high the
rocket will go. Let’s get started on our rocket.
First, we’ll need to install the relevant software.
OpenRocket runs on Java, so you should be able to
run it on Windows, Mac, or Linux, provided you’ve
got the runtime environment installed (you can get
this from java.com/en/download if you don’t have
it already). With this, you can download OpenRocket
from openrocket.info. It’s a JAR file, so there’s no
need to install it. Just click on the downloaded file
to start.
When you first start OpenRocket, it’ll start a new
rocket project for you and you’ll be greeted with a
screen similar to Figure 1.
Traditionally, rockets have a pointy bit at the front,
a long straight bit in the middle, and some fins at theO
Personalise your rocket using specialist software
YOUR OWN
Jo Hinchliffe
@concreted0gJo Hinchliffe is a
contributor to the Libre
Space Foundation and
sits on the UK Rocketry
Association council.
He loves designing
and scratch-building
both model and high-
power rockets, and
releases the designs
and components
as open-source.
Right
The Open
Development rocket
on the launch pad at
Midland SkyDesign