Rocket specifications and launch history
Specifications, photos and launch sites for the rockets flying today.
Falcon 9 (SpaceX)
The world's first orbital-class reusable rocket. Falcon 9 delivers payloads to orbit and its first stage returns to land on an autonomous drone ship or back at the launch site, dramatically reducing launch costs and enabling high flight cadence. It has become the workhorse of the global launch market.
| Height | Diameter | Payload to LEO | Payload to GTO | Thrust | Stages | Propellant | First flight | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 m | 3.7 m | 22,800 kg | 8,300 kg | 7,657 kN | 2 | LOX / RP-1 | Jun 4, 2010 | Active |
- First reusable orbital-class booster
- Propulsive landing (drone ship & RTLS)
- 9 Merlin 1D engines in octaweb configuration
- Autonomous drone ship recovery
- Crew Dragon & Cargo Dragon compatible
- Highest flight rate of any orbital rocket
Launch sites: Cape Canaveral SLC-40; Kennedy LC-39A; Vandenberg SLC-4E
Starship (SpaceX)
The largest and most powerful rocket ever built, designed to be fully reusable. Starship consists of the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage spacecraft. It is central to SpaceX's Mars colonization architecture and lunar landing plans under the Artemis program.
| Height | Diameter | Payload to LEO | Payload to GTO | Thrust | Stages | Propellant | First flight | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 120 m | 9 m | 150,000 kg | — | 73,000 kN | 2 | LOX / CH4 (Methalox) | Apr 20, 2023 | In Development |
- Fully reusable (booster & spacecraft)
- Stainless steel construction
- 33 Raptor V2 engines on Super Heavy
- Mars colonization architecture
- Artemis III lunar lander
- Highest thrust of any rocket ever built
Launch sites: Starbase Orbital Launch Mount A (Boca Chica, TX)
Electron (Rocket Lab)
A dedicated small-lift launch vehicle using carbon composite structures and 3D-printed Rutherford engines. Electron is the leading dedicated small-satellite launcher and has pioneered helicopter mid-air recovery of its first stage.
| Height | Diameter | Payload to LEO | Payload to GTO | Thrust | Stages | Propellant | First flight | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 m | 1.2 m | 300 kg | — | 192 kN | 2 | LOX / RP-1 | May 25, 2017 | Active |
- 3D-printed Rutherford engines (electric pump-fed)
- Carbon composite airframe
- Helicopter mid-air recovery (attempted)
- Dedicated small-sat launch
- Second most-launched US orbital rocket
- Kick-stage for precise orbit insertion
Launch sites: Rocket Lab LC-1A & LC-1B (Mahia, NZ); Rocket Lab LC-2 (Wallops, VA)
More launch vehicles
- Neutron (Rocket Lab), In Development
- Atlas V (ULA / Lockheed Martin), Active (retiring 2028)
- H3 (MHI), Active
- Vega (Avio / ESA), Active (Vega-C upgrade)
- LauncherOne (Virgin Orbit), Defunct (2023)
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About the rocket specifications and launch history
Compare the launch vehicles that carry today's satellites and crews. Each profile lists height, diameter, payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) and geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), thrust, stages, propellant, first flight and launch sites, plus the vehicle's recent and upcoming missions.
- Which rocket can lift the most to orbit?
- Among the vehicles listed, SpaceX's Starship is designed for the largest payload to LEO; Falcon 9 is the most-flown rocket in service.
- What is the difference between LEO and GTO payload?
- LEO payload is the mass a rocket can place in low Earth orbit (a few hundred kilometres up). GTO payload is the mass it can send toward geostationary orbit, which needs far more energy, so the figure is much lower.
Data may be delayed. Not financial advice.