The term “burnout mass” of a rocket typically refers to the mass of the rocket at the point when the propulsion system has consumed all its propellant or reached the end of its operational life. This can also be referred to as the “dry mass” or “empty mass” of the rocket.
The formula to calculate the burnout mass Mburnout ) of a rocket is:
Where:
- Â is the burnout mass of the rocket motor (in kilograms, SI unit).
- Â is the initial mass of the rocket motor, including both the propellant mass and the casing mass (in kilograms, SI unit).
- Â is the mass of the propellant (which is in gaseous form) consumed during the rocket burn (in kilograms, SI unit).