Identity
Country
USA
USA
USA
China
USA / New Zealand
StatusIn development / Active
In developmentTest flights; V3 flying since May 2026
Active
Active
Active
In developmentFirst launch expected 2027
First flight
2023-04V3: May 2026
2010-06Third-party figure
2025-01
2025-12
Not disclosed
Size and lift
Height × diameterFull stack, both stages
124.4 × 9 mBooster alone is 72.3 m tallThird-party figure
70 × 3.7 m
98 × 7 m
65.9 × 4.5 mThird-party figure
43 × 7 m7 m at the base; 5 m fairing
Stages
2Super Heavy booster + Starship
2
2
2Third-party figure
2
Payload to LEO
Low Earth orbit; reusable figure where the rocket is recoveredWhat this means
Low Earth orbit (LEO) is roughly 200–2,000 km up, where most satellites and space stations fly. Payload to LEO is the standard way to compare a rocket's lifting power. Recovering a booster costs payload, because it must keep fuel back to fly home and land.
100+ tSpaceX's target when both stages are recovered; 100–150 t in its user guide
22.8 tExpendable; less when the booster is recovered
45 tBlue Origin's 2019 figure; initial capability may be lower
8 tWith the booster recovered; 11.8 t expendableThird-party figure
13 t
Propulsion
Liftoff thrust
Total first-stage thrust at sea levelWhat this means
Thrust is the push the engines produce. To leave the pad, it must exceed the rocket's weight; the extra is what accelerates it upward. 1 meganewton (MN) is roughly the force needed to hold up 100 tonnes.
80.8 MNExpected for the V3 boosterThird-party figure
7.6 MNMore than 1.7 million lbf at sea level
17.1 MNSources vary up to 19.9 MNThird-party figure
7.2 MNThird-party figure
6.6 MN1,485,000 lbf
EnginesFirst stage + upper stage
33 + 6 Raptor 3The ship has 3 sea-level and 3 vacuum engines
9 + 1 MerlinUpper stage: one Merlin Vacuum
7 BE-4 + 2 BE-3U
9 TQ-12A + 1 TQ-15AThird-party figure
9 + 1 Archimedes
Propellant
What this means
Most new reusable rockets burn liquid methane with liquid oxygen. It burns cleanly, leaving little soot in the engines, so they can fly again with less refurbishment. Kerosene is denser and long proven but leaves soot behind; hydrogen gives the most energy per kilogram but needs huge, very cold tanks.
Liquid methane / liquid oxygen
Kerosene (RP-1) / liquid oxygen
Methane / LOX; upper stage hydrogen / LOX
Liquid methane / liquid oxygenThird-party figure
Liquid methane / liquid oxygen
Reuse and record
Reusability
What is designed to be recoveredWhat this means
Most rockets throw their stages away after one flight, like flying a plane once and scrapping it. Landing and reusing the booster, the biggest and most expensive part, is what has made launches more frequent and cheaper over the past decade.
Fully reusable (designed)Booster caught by the tower; no ship has yet landed for reuse
Booster and fairingsRecord: 37 flights for one booster (B1067)
BoosterDesigned for at least 25 flights; upper stage expendable
First stageLarger Zhuque-3E version designed for up to 20 reusesThird-party figure
First stage and fairingThe fairing stays attached and returns with the booster
Flights so farOrbital launches and full successes, with date
13 flights, 8 full successesAs of 24 July 2026; test flightsThird-party figure
700 launches, 697 full successesFalcon 9 family, as of 13 Sept 2026Third-party figure
3 flights, 2 full successesAs of April 2026Third-party figure
2 flights, 2 reached orbitAs of August 2026Third-party figure
Not yet flown
Booster landings
Not disclosed
658 of 671Successful booster landings, as of 13 Sept 2026Third-party figure
2 of 3On the ship JacklynThird-party figure
1 of 2Landed in August 2026 but tipped over after a leg failedThird-party figure
Not disclosed
