Rockets & Vehicles
Launch vehicles past and present: how they work, what they carry, and their flight records.
Starship
Starship is SpaceX's super heavy-lift rocket in flight testing, designed for full reuse, orbital refueling, Starlink launches, and lunar missions.
Ariane 6
Ariane 6 is Europe's expendable heavy launcher, flown since July 2024 in A62 and A64 versions. It launches Amazon Leo satellites and ESA missions.
Electron
Electron is Rocket Lab's small-lift launcher, a carbon composite rocket with electric-pump Rutherford engines that has flown 93 times since 2017.
Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is SpaceX's two-stage rocket, with a reusable first stage, 676 liftoffs through August 12, 2026, and crew, science, and Starlink roles.
Falcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy is SpaceX's three-core heavy-lift rocket, flown 12 times since its 2018 debut with launches including Psyche, Europa Clipper, and GOES-U.
Long March
China's Long March rocket family has flown 664 missions since 1970, carrying every Shenzhou crew, every Chang'e Moon probe, and Tianwen-1 to Mars.
Neutron
Neutron is Rocket Lab's reusable medium-lift rocket, a 43 m carbon composite launcher with nine methalox Archimedes engines, targeting a late 2026 debut.
New Glenn
New Glenn is Blue Origin's reusable heavy-lift rocket. It has flown three times and is grounded after a May 2026 static-fire explosion damaged LC-36.
Saturn V
Saturn V was the NASA rocket that launched the Apollo Moon missions and Skylab, flying 13 times from 1967 to 1973 without losing a crew or payload.
Soyuz
Soyuz is the R-7-derived Russian rocket family that launches Soyuz crew spacecraft, Progress cargo ships, and satellites from three cosmodromes.
Space Launch System
The Space Launch System is NASA's super-heavy Artemis Moon rocket. It flew uncrewed in 2022 and carried the Artemis II crew around the Moon in April 2026.
Vulcan Centaur
Vulcan Centaur is ULA's successor to Atlas V and Delta IV, flown since January 2024 with Blue Origin BE-4 engines and the Centaur V upper stage.
Zhuque-3
Zhuque-3 is LandSpace's reusable stainless steel methalox rocket. Its second flight in August 2026 made China's first orbital booster landing on legs.