# The most powerful rockets ever flown

SpaceX's Starship overtook the Saturn V, the Soviet N1 had more thrust than all of them but never reached space, and SLS sent Artemis I to the Moon: rockets that have actually lifted off, from the most liftoff thrust to the least. Which one is the most impressive?

- 0 votes · 11 items
- Oct 1, 2026 · Guilherme Pereira
- https://even.best/en/l/3419/the-most-powerful-rockets-ever-flown

## Top 11

1. **Starship / Super Heavy (SpaceX)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — About 74,000 kN at liftoff with 33 Raptor engines: the most powerful in history.
2. **N1 (Soviet Union)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — The Soviet moon rocket, with 30 engines; it failed on all four launches (1969–1972).
3. **SLS Block 1 (NASA)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — About 39,000 kN; it launched Artemis I.
4. **Energia (Soviet Union)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — It flew only twice, once with the Buran shuttle.
5. **Saturn V (NASA)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Thirteen launches, thirteen successes; it took astronauts to the Moon.
6. **Falcon Heavy (SpaceX)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Three Falcon 9 cores that can come back and land.
7. **New Glenn (Blue Origin)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Jeff Bezos's big rocket, now operational.
8. **Long March 5 (China)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — The heavy rocket that built the Tiangong station.
9. **Delta IV Heavy (ULA)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — It launched very heavy US national security payloads.
10. **Falcon 9 Block 5 (SpaceX)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — The most-flown reusable rocket.
11. **Saturn IB (NASA)** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — The Saturn V's smaller sibling, reliable on its flights.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.