Compare major space missions, rockets, and rovers. See specifications, objectives, and current status side-by-side.
Land first woman and next man on lunar south pole by 2026
Search for signs of ancient life, collect samples
Investigate subsurface ocean habitability
Fully reusable super-heavy launch vehicle
Study early universe, galaxy formation, exoplanets
Global high-speed internet coverage
| Rocket | Agency | Height | LEO Capacity | Reusable | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Launch System (SLS) | NASA | 98m | 95 tons | No | Operational |
| SpaceX Starship | SpaceX | 120m | 150 tons | Yes (planned) | Testing |
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | 70m | 22.8 tons | Yes ( booster) | Operational |
| Falcon Heavy | SpaceX | 70m | 63.8 tons | Yes (side boosters) | Operational |
| Rover | Agency | Weight | Power | Cameras | Status | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perseverance | NASA | 1,025 kg | RTG | 23 | Active | 2021 |
| Curiosity | NASA | 899 kg | RTG | 17 | Active | 2012 |
| Zhurong | CNSA | 240 kg | Solar | 6 | Dormant | 2021 |
Missions designed to carry astronauts beyond Earth orbit. Current programs include NASA's Artemis (Moon missions), SpaceX's Starship (Mars target), and China's planned lunar missions. These require life support systems, radiation protection, and return capabilities.
Unmanned missions to explore other planets, moons, and asteroids. These include rovers like Perseverance on Mars, orbiters like Europa Clipper, and flybys. They're designed to maximize scientific data return within strict mass and power constraints.
Space telescopes like James Webb observe the universe from above Earth's atmosphere. JWST specifically studies infrared light from early galaxies, allowing us to see further back in time than ever before.
Large satellite networks like Starlink provide global services from low Earth orbit. While offering benefits like global internet, they raise concerns about space debris and impact on astronomical observations.