Fuel to orbit

[TtTOtW]

Just to be clear, all the fuel's potential energy had been changed to kinetic energy, chemical energy, heat energy and light energy, most of it escaping into nature via the nozzle.

 

[Mars Pathfinder]

Just to be clear, all the fuel's potential energy had been changed to kinetic energy, chemical energy, heat energy and light energy, most of it escaping into nature via the nozzle.

So like eating a food, from belly to butt rejection (either the solid, liquid or gas state) :3

 

[TtTOtW]

Now, aerodynamics in SFS is something I've made the effort to define in 1.4 and also am revisiting in 1.5. Believe me, DRAG MATTERS.

F=ma for applied force. (Expelled fuel mass and acceleration)
F=mg for gravity. (Total current rocket mass and gravity at current altitude)
If you attempt to fly straight up, as at launch, the difference between the two will apply to the rocket. Then assuming a>g, you'll liftoff with acceleration a*=a-g. Thus F*=m(rocket)a*. That F* will also be eaten into by drag. The lower your altitude and the higher your speed, the worse it gets. So before you ever reach 100m, you're already at an easily measurable loss at reasonable nett acceleration in a relatively smooth rocket. Yes. Just 100m. Anything over 20m/s velocity stack up real quick in drag.

Problem is, the hovering situation. Zero drag, but zero achievement. So, what's the balance? Well, a normal staged rocket with a TWR of between 1.2 and 1.6 that's as smooth and light as possible is a good start. It gets draggy, but also gets out of gravity without sacrificing all its energy fighting drag. It hits a sort of optimal efficiency window.

Now the size, shape and other factors, I'll cover next.

 

[Altaïr]

Now, aerodynamics in SFS is something I've made the effort to define in 1.4

With all my respect, I think I also deserve the credits for it:
Aerodynamics in SFS

 

[TtTOtW]

Ah, mr Friendly did a numbers thing, did he? Well he doesn't need it where he is right now, hahaha!

 

[bobbblair123]

Ah, mr Friendly did a numbers thing, did he? Well he doesn't need it where he is right now, hahaha!

Hopefully not too far off topic but has drag increased recently?

 

[Blazer Ayanami]

Hopefully not too far off topic but has drag increased recently?

The game hasn’t been updated. So no.

(Unless you modified the atmosphere parameters)