Explore the Market of Rocket Launch: The Biggest Rockets in History

The Biggest Rockets in History

Getting cargo into orbit is not easy and requires a significant amount of fuel. Rocket launches are massive endeavors, with rockets reaching heights comparable to skyscrapers. Today, we will discuss the five biggest rockets in the history of astronautics.

Ares I, standing at 94 meters, was built by NASA as part of the Constellation program. This rocket was designed to launch the Orion spacecraft into Earth's orbit. Ares I flew once in October 2009, reaching an altitude of 45 km during a test suborbital launch. Unfortunately, the Constellation program was shut down shortly after, leading to the termination of Ares I's development.

The SLS rocket, with a towering height of 98 meters, is often referred to as a modern Saturn V. NASA created the SLS as part of the Artemis program, aiming to return humans to the Moon. The rocket has already completed one successful test flight, sending an unmanned Orion spacecraft to the Moon in November 2022. A manned flight is scheduled for September 2025, with plans for a more powerful 111-meter version in the future.

The Soviet lunar program introduced the H-1 rocket, standing at an impressive 105 meters tall. Despite the ambitious goal of landing a cosmonaut on the moon, the H-1 faced multiple failures during test launches, leading to the project's closure between 1969 and 1972.

Saturn V, the most powerful rocket of the 20th century, boasted a height of 110.6 meters. This NASA creation successfully sent Apollo 11 and other lunar missions to the Moon. With a total of 13 space flights, Saturn V played a crucial role in space exploration history before being discontinued in 1973.

SpaceX's Starship, currently in development, stands as the tallest rocket in history at 121 meters. With a mass of approximately 5,000 tons, Starship consists of a Super Heavy booster and a reusable spacecraft. Despite being in the testing phase, Starship has already completed four flights, bringing SpaceX closer to launching payloads into orbit. The future holds promise for Starship, with plans for a third version expected to be even taller than the current model.