: Engineers typically use Finite Element Models (FEM) to represent the vehicle's dry structure. These models must account for the changing mass and stiffness as propellant is consumed during flight.

This is the "Holy Grail" of rocket simulation. CLA combines the flexible structural model, the liquid slosh model, the propulsion system, and the flight control algorithms into one integrated simulation. It answers questions like:

Engineers rely on high-fidelity simulations to predict how the rocket will behave before it ever leaves the ground. If you download a technical PDF on this subject, you will typically see these modeling techniques:

Testing a rocket in the real world is prohibitively expensive. Simulations allow engineers to: