How to play Rocket Lab
Game guide
Rocket Lab is a rocket building and launch game. You design a rocket, tune its body, fins, engines and fuel, then launch it and see how high and how far it can go, from the edge of space to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The goal
Complete the missions by building better and better rockets: reach space, get to orbit, then fly on to the Moon and planets.
How to play
- Start in the lab. Choose the body size, nose cone, fins and paint.
- Pick an engine and fuel for stage 1, and add upper stages for bigger missions.
- Check the numbers: thrust to weight must be above 1 to lift off, and the stability check should pass.
- Press Launch and watch the flight. Use Skip to apogee or a faster speed if you like.
- Read the flight report, then go back to the lab to improve your design.
Controls
| Tap or click | Choose parts and settings |
|---|---|
| Launch | Fly the rocket |
| Speed and Skip | Speed up the flight |
Tips
- A pointed nose cone cuts drag. Launch straight up for the most height.
- Add stages. Dropping an empty bottom tank makes the rest of the rocket much lighter.
- To get past the Moon, use liquid hydrogen in the upper stages.
- Space starts at 100 km up. About 11 km/s escapes Earth, 14 km/s reaches Jupiter and 16.6 km/s leaves the solar system.
Rocket Lab is free to play in your browser on a computer, tablet or phone, with no download or sign-up. Your progress and best scores are saved on your device.