Max-Q
Max-Q is the moment during a rocket launch when aerodynamic pressure on the vehicle is at its greatest, usually about a minute after liftoff.
Rockets often throttle their engines down around this point to keep structural stress within safe limits, then throttle back up once through it.
It depends on both airspeed and air density, so it occurs while the rocket is still fairly low but already moving very fast.
See it live on Cosmik
Related terms
- Delta-v — Delta-v (Δv) is the change in velocity a spacecraft must produce to perform a manoeuvre — launching, changing orbit or landing — and it is the basic currency of orbital mechanics.
- Atmospheric reentry — Atmospheric reentry is the return of a spacecraft or piece of debris into Earth's atmosphere, where friction and compression heat it to thousands of degrees.
