OpenRocket for MAC

OpenRocket is a free, fully featured model rocket simulator that lets you design and simulate your rockets before you build and fly them. You put a rocket together from a rich selection of built-in components, see it in 2D and 3D, choose a solid rocket motor from an extensive database, and then run flights to see how the design behaves. The simulation is six-degree-of-freedom with over 50 variables, and the results can be plotted and exported for closer study.

OpenRocket is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence and is copyright Sampo Niskanen and others. Version 24.12 brings a reworked Simulation tab, wind settings at different altitudes, a Component Analysis parameter sweep tool and SVG export of fin shapes. On the Mac there are separate installers for Apple Silicon and Intel. The packaged installers include the correct version of Java, so you do not need to install it yourself. The project does not state a minimum macOS version on its download pages. OpenRocket collects no telemetry and does not upload your designs. It only goes online for functions such as checking for application and motor-database updates, and internet access can be turned off in its preferences.

Key Features

OpenRocket covers the whole path from a first sketch to an analysed flight.

• Rocket design: build from built-in components or create your own custom parts.
• 2D and 3D views: check the design as you work and create 3D renders of it.
• Motor database: choose a solid rocket motor from an extensive catalogue.
• Flight simulation: six-degree-of-freedom simulation with realtime altitude, velocity and acceleration.
• Multi-level wind: set wind speed and direction at different altitudes.
• Staging and clustering: model multi-stage rockets and clustered motors.
• Design optimization: let the app optimize a design for a chosen goal.
• Export: send designs to RockSim or RASAero II, to OBJ for 3D printing, or to SVG for laser cutting.

OpenRocket 24.12 improves simulation, analysis and export.

• Enhanced Simulation tab, the start of a multi-release effort to make simulations easier to manage.
• Multi-level wind input in the simulation configuration dialog.
• New Component Analysis parameter sweep tool, for example to plot drag against Mach number.
• SVG export of fin shapes for laser cutting or CAD tools.
• Far fewer errors when loading ORK files.
• Installers for both x86_64 and Arm64 on the Mac.