SpaceX’s Starship, the most powerful rocket ever made, took off on April 21 2023, before becoming an explosive fireball in the sky – but an impressive launch to watch, no less. It made me stop for a second and wonder, with it being so powerful, how big is it compared to other spaceships?
Firstly, we’re not talking about sci-fi spaceships and spacecraft. We might write about that at a later date, but for the moment, we’re steering clear of fiction.
What is the biggest spaceship ever made?
To kick things off, we’re going to talk about launch vehicles, which are usually the most visually impressive objects when it comes to space travel.
5. The Delta IV Heavy rocket
Developed by the United Launch Alliance, the Delta IV Heavy is used to deploy payloads into the atmosphere for the U.S. Air Force, although it has been used for a number of commercial satellite missions as well. It stands at 70.7 metres tall, and is classified as a medium-to-heavy lift vehicle.
4. The Ares I rocket
At 97.3 metres tall and 5 metres in diameter, the Ares I rocket was developed by NASA for use in the constellation program, which would have guided the space organisation back to the Moon and on potential missions to Mars, had the program not been deemed unrealistic during a review. A test flight was undertaken, but the program was put on ice shortly after.
3. The Space Launch System
At number three, we have the Space Launch System, which was first launched in November 2022 to kick off NASA’s Artemis missions, picking up where the Constellation program left off to try and put humans back on the moon and maybe one day take them to Mars. The Space Launch System stands at a towering 98 metres tall and is currently being used by NASA.
2. The Saturn V rocket
You can’t beat a classic. The Saturn V rocket is probably one of the most well-known launch vehicles ever used, deployed by NASA to propel astronauts to the moon during the Apollo missions between 1967 and 1972 (including Apollos 4 and 17). Standing at 111 metres tall, the Saturn V is one of the most striking rockets NASA has ever created.
1. SpaceX’s Starship
Though not a ship (a launch vehicle), SpaceX’s Starship is the largest launch vehicle ever made, standing at an incredible 120 metres. The launch vehicle completed its most recent test on April 21, 2023, before it exploded mid-flight. Before this, several prototype tests were undertaken.
Honourable mentions
We’ll give an honourable mention to the Long March 9 rocket here, as although it’s planned to be 108 metres tall, it hasn’t been completed yet, with the plan changing late last year to switch the rocket from disposable to reusable.
Also, just so that we’re across it, there are a number of other large spaceships types worth mentioning here. The International Space Station, for example, has a 109-metre wingspan for its solar array. Meanwhile, China’s Tiangong space station is 55 metres long.
And that’s about it. My favourite is the Saturn V, but obviously, everything here is impressive.