Meco Rocket Simulator

This game is still in Early Access. A good deal of features below are still in development and unavailable. Please see the Early Access notes above.

Design & Test Rocket Engines Interactively

Meco Rocket Simulator introduces rocket engine concepts in a fun way to inspire budding rocket engineers/scientists to support our multi-planetary future. For realism, Meco crunches the numbers using principles from well-cited research and published practitioners.

The Rocket Engine Simulator for Interactive Design

Say goodbye to pages of endless numbers and equations because you’ll see the outcome of your design choices in seconds. It’s a fun way to learn – perfect for next-gen engineers and scientists to have fun while learning to be trailblazers in our multi-planetary future.

On the Shoulders of Giants

Play campaigns with missions based on real-life events. For example, build and simulate rocket engines that show:

• How the USA developed the Redstone-Mercury rocket engine, which in essence, sent the first American to Space.
  
• Progression of SpaceX’s improvements to Merlin Engines, in particular, from Falcon 1 to Falcon 9 full-thrust.
  
• Development of engines for the Saturn V moon rocket that were exceptionally reliable despite the technology available at the time.
  
• How the Europa I/II Rocket engines were developed, which enabled Europe’s first orbit-capable Launch Vehicle.

Detailed Fluid and Combustion Simulation

Meco’s detailed simulation allows you to observe the following:

• Gas and liquids flow in lines and ducts due to pressure and friction.
  
• Ignition, throttle and shutdown sequences following value valve timings.
  
• Thrust chamber and nozzle temperatures following regenerative, film and ablative cooling.
  
• Evaluate the pros and cons resulting from gas generator, expander, and other engine cycles.
  
• Nozzle gas exit velocity and flow separation change when the shape of the nozzle is changed.
  
• Lastly, get the expected engine thrust, efficiency, and ISP readings to evaluate your design.

Comprehensive Design Options

Meco has features you need to build a rocket engine model for first approximation simulation.

• Find out engine limits when different materials are used to create its parts.
  
• Test fuel, oxidizer and coolant combinations and their trade-offs.
  
• Try different igniter and valve types with their advantages and disadvantages.
  
• Design injectors, pumps, turbines, gearboxes, thrust chambers and nozzles while being challenged by physical constraints.

True-To-Life Rocket Engine Simulation

Meco has been validated against real-life engine operational data and matches them to within a few percent, hence you can be assured Meco gives you realistic performance numbers.

• Change your design in order to get desired pressure, temperature and flow rate readings.
  
• Tweak combustion properties which change correspondingly with oxidizer-fuel ratio and pressure.
  
• Find out safety margins when there are thermal and load stresses on parts.
  
• Test performance at different atmospheric pressures.
  
• Replay and zoom in to a particular spot in time when you need more data.

Analyze

• Pressure and flow of gas and liquids
  
• Combustion Temperature and properties
  
• Thermal and Load Stresses on parts
  
• Performance at different Atmospheric Pressures
  
• Replay and zoom-in to a particular spot in time

Examples to Learn from Included

Get into simulation quickly – pre-built and ready-to-simulate engines include:

• Rocketdyne F-1, which powered the Saturn V
  
• SpaceX Merlin 1D employed on the Falcon 9
  
• Vulcain by Snecma Moteurs found on the Arianespace Ariane 5
  
• RL-10A used by ULA Centaur originally made by Pratt & Whitney

Embrace Your Inner Rocket Scientist - Learn to Design Rocket Engines Step-By-Step

For Child Prodigies, Senior Enthusiasts and Everyone in Between
Start with cold-gas thrusters, or dive right into Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines (LPRE). If your quest to learn some rocket science, Meco is at your side.

The Whole Is Greater than The Sum of Its Parts
While Meco can handle dozens of sub-systems required to simulate a rocket engine, we can tinker with each sub-system individually and put them all together when we are ready.

Master and Build Intuition
See how engineering and scientific laws come together and build a complete understanding of the part they play.

Do or Do Not. There Is No Try
Overcome the challenges and feel accomplished. There are reasons why rocket science has a reputation for not being easy, but you are in good company.