Wicked Cool Images of Space Rockets!

Rockets are some of the coolest machines that humans have ever developed and they range in size and type. The following image gallery has some of the most impressive images of the early rockets, the Saturn V that took men to the moon, the future Space Launch System to the modern commercial rockets such as the Falcon 9 and Antares. Plus there are lots of images of exploding rockets! Enjoy exploring the amazing selection of rocket images, some of the best ever taken, and learn more fun facts about each by visiting the rockets page on Spaceopedia!

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Rockets of The Space Age

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Mobile Launches - Often the V-2 was launched from forests which were extremely hard to locate – resulting active firing until the end of the war.
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V2 - The World's First Rocket to Reach Space

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V2 Rocket - Also known as the 'Vengeance weapon' the V-2 was designed by Nazi Germany in retaliation for allied bombing on it's cities.
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Early American Rockets

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Mercury-Redstone booster - The Mercury-Redstone booster being prepared for flight. (Image Credit: NASA)
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Saturn V - The Lunar Rocket

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Saturn V - In 1865, Jules Verne wrote a science fiction story entitled, "From the Earth to the Moon." The story outlined the author's vision of a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could shoot a "Projectile-Vehicle" carrying three adventurers to the moon. (Image Credit: NASA)
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United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy

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Delivery - Delta IV Heavy rocket arrives at the pad at Space Launch Complex 37. (Photo Credit NASA/ULA)
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Soyuz - Russian Workhorse

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Soyuz rocket assembly - Visible here is the first and second stages (already assembled) with the third stage and Soyuz spacecraft, covered by its launch shroud, in the foreground. (Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
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The Space Launch System - SLS

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A New Era - Block 1 SLS configuration in flight. (Image credit: NASA/MSFC)
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Commercial Space Rockets

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Sea Launch - Commercial satellite launches from Sea Launch prepares their rocket.
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SpaceX's Falcon 9

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Falcon 9 Rocket Features - The full-thrust version of the Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon crew capsule on top as a payload. (Image Credit: NASA/Phil McAlister)
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Orbital Science's Antares

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Antares Rocket - Rollout of Orbital Science Corporation Antares rocket is seen as it is rolled out to launch Pad. (Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)
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Spectacular Rocket Failures

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Early Failures - The failure of the Vanguard Test Vehicle Three (VTV-3) was the first attempt of the United States of America to launch a satellite into orbit around the Earth.
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