Launch Vehicles
The rockets that carry missions to space.
20 entries.
Saturn V
United States · first flight 1967 · Retired
A NASA super heavy-lift launch vehicle that carried every crewed Apollo mission to the Moon and launched the Skylab station.
Saturn IB
United States · first flight 1966 · Retired
A NASA medium-lift launch vehicle used for early Apollo Earth-orbit tests, the Skylab crews, and the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project.
Space Launch System (SLS)
United States · first flight 2022 · Active
NASA's super heavy-lift rocket for the Artemis program, which launched the uncrewed Artemis I around the Moon in 2022.
Falcon 9
United States · first flight 2010 · Active
A partially reusable two-stage orbital rocket by SpaceX, the most-flown vehicle in the world with a reusable first stage.
Falcon Heavy
United States · first flight 2018 · Active
A heavy-lift rocket by SpaceX built from three Falcon 9 cores, with reusable side boosters.
Starship
United States · first flight 2023 · In development
A fully reusable super heavy-lift launch system by SpaceX intended for crewed and cargo flights to orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
Atlas V
United States · first flight 2002 · Active
An expendable launch vehicle by United Launch Alliance that has flown many NASA science and planetary missions.
Delta IV Heavy
United States · first flight 2004 · Retired
A heavy-lift expendable rocket by United Launch Alliance, retired in 2024, used for national-security and high-energy science launches such as Parker Solar Probe.
Vulcan Centaur
United States · first flight 2024 · Active
United Launch Alliance's successor to the Atlas V and Delta IV families.
New Glenn
United States · first flight 2025 · Active
A heavy-lift, partially reusable rocket developed by Blue Origin.
Electron
United States / New Zealand · first flight 2017 · Active
A small-lift orbital rocket by Rocket Lab for dedicated small-satellite launches.
Ariane 5
Europe · first flight 1996 · Retired
A European heavy-lift rocket operated by Arianespace, which launched the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021 before retiring in 2023.
Ariane 6
Europe · first flight 2024 · Active
Europe's successor to Ariane 5, designed for greater flexibility and lower cost.
Soyuz
Russia · first flight 1966 · Active
A long-serving family of Russian expendable rockets that has carried crews and cargo to orbit for over five decades.
Proton
Russia · first flight 1965 · Active
A Russian heavy-lift rocket used to launch interplanetary probes, large satellites, and space-station modules.
Long March 5
China · first flight 2016 · Active
China's heavy-lift rocket, used to launch the Tianwen-1 Mars mission, Chang'e lunar missions, and Tiangong station modules.
Long March 3B
China · first flight 1996 · Active
A Chinese launch vehicle widely used for geostationary satellites and several Chang'e lunar missions.
H-IIA
Japan · first flight 2001 · Retired
A Japanese launch vehicle that flew JAXA science missions including Hayabusa2 and the Akatsuki Venus orbiter.
PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)
India · first flight 1993 · Active
ISRO's reliable workhorse rocket, which launched Chandrayaan-1 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).
GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle)
India · first flight 2001 · Active
ISRO's launcher for heavier payloads to geostationary transfer orbit, used for Chandrayaan-2.