OpenRocket
Open-source rocket simulation software
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
OpenRocket is a free and open-source application for designing model rockets and simulating their flight. The software provides a component-based rocket design environment together with aerodynamic analysis, stability calculations and flight simulation.[1] It is written in Java and is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.[1]
| OpenRocket | |
|---|---|
| |
 OpenRocket 22.02 home screen | |
| Original author | Sampo Niskanen |
| Developer | OpenRocket development team |
| Release | 2009 |
| Stable release | 24.12
/ 27 July 2025 |
| Written in | Java |
| Operating system | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Type | Model rocket design and flight simulation |
| License | GPL-3.0 |
| Website | openrocket |
| Repository | github |
OpenRocket was originally developed by Sampo Niskanen as part of his 2009 master's thesis at the Helsinki University of Technology.[2]
History
OpenRocket originated from Niskanen's master's thesis, which investigated methods for calculating the aerodynamic properties and flight trajectories of model rockets and implemented these methods in an open-source software application.[2] The work was based in part on the aerodynamic methods developed by James Barrowman, with extensions for effects including large angles of attack and free-form fins. The thesis also described atmospheric modelling and a six-degree-of-freedom flight simulation.[2]
Development has continued as an open-source project. The software is currently released under the GNU General Public License.[3]
Design and simulation
OpenRocket allows rockets to be constructed from components including nose cones, body tubes, fins, internal components, recovery devices and rocket motors. As a design is modified, the program calculates quantities such as the rocket's center of gravity and center of pressure.[1]
The program can analyse the contribution of individual components to aerodynamic properties including stability, drag and roll. It can also simulate a complete flight under user-defined atmospheric and launch conditions.[1] Its simulation model uses empirical aerodynamic methods based on the geometry of the rocket.[4]
Coverage and use
In 2013, Linux Journal published a detailed article by Joey Bernard demonstrating the use of OpenRocket for designing, analysing, optimizing and simulating model rockets.[1] In 2018, issue 12 of HackSpace magazine included a tutorial by Jo Hinchliffe on designing and simulating a model rocket using OpenRocket.[5]
OpenRocket has also been examined in engineering research. Brown et al. compared an OpenRocket simulation of a student-built rocket with measured flight data and with a rigid-body dynamics simulation using aerodynamic coefficients derived from wind-tunnel and computational-fluid-dynamics testing.[4]
In 2025, Jacob Schrum and Cody Crosby used OpenRocket as the simulation environment in a study applying quality-diversity algorithms to model-rocket design. Designs generated in the study were subsequently manufactured and launched, allowing the researchers to examine differences between simulated and real-world behaviour.[6]