Mass ratio variation refers to the change in the ratio of masses of a system before and after a process, operation, or event. Propulsion systems like rockets or engines undergo mass ratio variation because they consume propellant during operation, leading to changes in the overall mass ratio of the system.
Where:
- is the mass of the payload (e.g., spacecraft, cargo)
- is the mass of propellant (e.g., fuel) used to propel the payload.