Estimate the total delta-v a rocket mission must carry after combining planned maneuvers, expected trajectory losses, correction reserves, and a design margin. The result provides a transparent mission requirement rather than a vehicle-specific performance promise, making it useful for early sizing, trade studies, and checking whether a proposed propulsion stage has enough velocity-change capability.
The main result is the velocity-change capability the propulsion system should be sized to deliver. The base budget shows the requirement before the percentage margin, while margin delta-v isolates the contingency added by the selected design policy.
This is an early-design budget. It does not simulate staging, changing mass, steering history, atmosphere, or launch-site effects.
With 9,400 m/s of planned maneuvers, 1,500 m/s of losses, a 200 m/s reserve, and a 10% margin, the base budget is 11,100 m/s. The margin adds 1,110 m/s, producing a required delta-v of 12,210 m/s.
No. Enter ideal planned maneuvers separately and place estimated gravity, drag, and steering losses in the loss field.
Yes. This calculator applies the selected margin to maneuvers, losses, and the absolute correction reserve together.
Yes for a vacuum maneuver study, but an atmospheric ascent normally requires an independently estimated loss allowance.
Not by itself. Propellant mass also depends on specific impulse, dry mass, staging, and the rocket equation.
An absolute reserve can represent known correction needs, while a percentage margin scales with the whole mission budget.
| Input | Unit | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Planned maneuver delta-v | m/s | Sum of ideal burns in the mission plan. |
| Gravity and drag losses | m/s | Expected non-ideal ascent or trajectory losses. |
| Correction reserve | m/s | Absolute allowance for dispersions and corrections. |
| Design margin | % | Applied after maneuvers, losses, and reserve. |