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About Liftoff Labs

Design rocket stages, fuel mass and engine ISP to deliver payloads to orbit in this free online rocket equation game about delta-v budgets, staging and reusability.

Liftoff Labs is a rocket science game built around the single most important equation in spaceflight: the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation, written in 1903 as delta-v equals exhaust velocity times the natural log of wet mass over dry mass. You run a contract launch agency, signing paid missions that demand a fixed delta-v budget, then stacking stages, picking engines by their specific impulse and pouring in propellant until the math closes.

Every mechanic maps to real orbital mechanics. Specific impulse, measured in seconds, is exhaust efficiency divided by standard gravity, so a hydrolox stage at 440 seconds squeezes far more delta-v per tonne than a solid booster at 250 seconds. Gravity and drag taxes model the roughly 1.6 km/s real rockets lose fighting Earth's pull and atmosphere. Staging works because an empty tank is dead weight: dropping it shrinks the denominator of the mass ratio and lets later burns go further, which is why two modest stages beat one giant tank every time.

The economics are real too. Because the equation is exponential, doubling payload more than doubles propellant, so heavy missions drive launch costs through the roof. That is exactly why reusability changed the industry: recovering the most expensive stage turns a consumable into an asset, the same trade Falcon 9 exploited. By the end you will feel in your gut why rocket scientists obsess over every kilogram, why staging exists and why a few seconds of extra specific impulse can make or break a mission.

Key Science Concepts

What You'll Learn

Grade Level: Middle School, High School

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How to play

  1. Sign Contracts Pick a paid mission from the board. Each one lists its payload and required delta-v.
  2. Build Stages Stack up to 3 stages. Pick an engine and drag the fuel slider; watch each stage's delta-v.
  3. Respect the Equation Fuel must lift fuel. Doubling payload more than doubles the propellant the rocket equation demands.
  4. Shed Dead Weight Empty tanks drop away. Staging makes later burns far more efficient than one giant tank.
  5. Upgrade and Recover Buy better engines and lighter tanks in the dock. Recovery refunds half your booster cost.
  6. Guard Reputation Failures cost reputation; at zero your agency is grounded. Tap the Reputation bar for a paid press release.

Frequently asked questions

Is Liftoff Labs free to play?
Yes. Liftoff Labs is completely free to play in your browser. There is no download, install or account needed.
What grade level is Liftoff Labs for?
Liftoff Labs is designed for Middle School, High School students and works well as a classroom activity or homework.
Does Liftoff Labs work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Liftoff Labs runs in any modern browser on desktop computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones in landscape mode.

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