NASA's Space Launch System

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, powered by four RS-25 engines and twin solid rocket boosters, generates 8.8 million pounds of thrust. Designed for deep space missions like the Artemis missions to the Moon, the SLS rocket offers high payload capacity, volume capability, and energy. SpaceX's Starship, a towering rocket nearly 400 feet tall, is intended to transport NASA astronauts to the Moon and holds potential for solar system exploration. In launch sequences, rockets like the Mars Odyssey mission's third stage are spun up using small rockets before firing to escape Earth's orbit and embark on an interplanetary journey