Pyrocket 0.1.0

By Bea Adkins

Pyrocket is a simulation code for rocket staging and trajectories with atmospheric drag. Uses include trajectory optimization, mass budgeting, and launch vehicle design. It is intended for aerospace engineering students, amateur rocketeers, and Kerbals.

Dependencies

Requires the following scientific Python libraries:

• numpy
• scipy
• matplotlib

Usage

Very crude currently.

1. Modify liftoff.py. Create a Stage object and set the rocket field in the main method to it.
2. Run liftoff.py using your favorite Python 2 interpreter. E.g. python liftoff.py at a command line.

Roadmap

0.1

• Serialize Stages in a simple field:value text format
• Create command-line interface
• Add a switch between Kerbal Space Program drag (effective area is a multiple of mass) and more realistic drag (effective area is a given value). My current solution: drag_area can be a number [m^2] or a string "kerbal", which would then use the vanilla KSP mass multiplier.

0.2

• Add 2D flight model (keep 1D for simpler cases)
• Trajectories:
  • Gravity turn trajectories
  • Piecewise trajectories
  • Simple flight control rules

0.3

• Variable gravity
• Orbital dynamics (one body, in-plane)

Possibilities

• Support for e.g. space shuttle, Falcon Heavy
• Integration with KSP mods (e.g. Flight/Build Engineer)