How to Use the Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation 3D Explorer - Step by Step
Open the Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation 3D Explorer, slide exhaust velocity and propellant fraction, pick a stage count, and press Ignite to see whether the computed delta-v clears the 9.4 km/s low Earth orbit target.
Slide exhaust velocity
Slide exhaust velocity from 2.0 to 4.4 km/s - the real span from kerosene/oxygen engines up to hydrogen/oxygen engines - and watch the facts panel's delta-v figure update live.
Slide propellant fraction
Slide propellant fraction from 50% to 97% of each stage's own mass. Because delta-v grows only with the logarithm of the mass ratio, pushing this slider toward its limit adds far less delta-v than it looks like it should.
Pick 1, 2, or 3 stages
Press the 1, 2, or 3 stage button. Splitting the same hardware into more stages multiplies the total delta-v, because each stage drops its own spent structure before the next one burns.
Press Ignite
Press Ignite to play the launch animation. A rocket whose delta-v clears the 9.4 km/s target keeps climbing; one that falls short stalls partway up and settles back to the pad.
Try the three presets
Try the three presets to feel the two levers side by side: a single stage that falls short of orbit, the same hardware split into two stages, and the maximum exhaust velocity a hydrogen/oxygen engine can reach.
Read the facts panel
Read the facts panel beside the scene for the live mass ratio, the delta-v per stage, the total delta-v, and the published reference figures - including the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation itself and the real Saturn V mass breakdown.
Next: see when to use this explorer or how it compares to the Escape Velocity 3D Explorer.
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