Whats your favourite rocket?

[Tristonwilson12]

i want to know what your favourite rocket is.

for me it would be the Atlas V

[Im The One]

The delta family for me since my dad worked on them (specifically the delta II)

[SaturnianBlue]

Delta II, specifically the Delta II 7925H-9.5 variant, famous for launching the MER-B probe to Mars, MESSENGER to solar orbit on its way to Mercury, and Dawn toward Mars to eventually get to Vesta/Ceres. The Delta II is reliable, small, and quick after all, and there isn't many more rockets more kerbal than the Delta II 7900, with NINE SRBs...

[Im The One]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Delta-7925H_MER-B_(Opportunity).jpg

Delta II, specifically the Delta II 7925H-9.5 variant, famous for launching the MER-B probe to Mars, MESSENGER to solar orbit on its way to Mercury, and Dawn toward Mars to eventually get to Vesta/Ceres. The Delta II is reliable, small, and quick after all, and there isn't many more rockets more kerbal than the Delta II 7900, with NINE SRBs...

the only bad part though is they are going to retire it and the delta IV soon

[Thomas988]

I few years ago I did a school presentation on the Mercury Program, and naturally I fell in love with the Mercury-Redstone.

[RAINCRAFTER]

Delta II, Saturn V, Titan II, Titan IIIE-Centuar.

This guy should change the title to "What's your favorite rockets?"!

Edited July 27, 2015 by RAINCRAFTER

[SmallFatFetus]

You can't beat the elegance of the R7 Soyuz. It's a beautiful rocket that launched so many firsts.

And wow, that guy is standing close.

[Robotengineer]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Soyuz_TMA-9_launch.jpg

You can't beat the elegance of the R7 Soyuz. It's a beautiful rocket that launched so many firsts.

And wow, that guy is standing close.

Photoshopped.

The R7 is by far my favorite Russian rocket, the Falcon 9 is my favorite USA rocket.

[Camacha]

Photoshopped.

Ah, the infamous first law of Camacha comes into play. It does not matter what the subject is or when the photo is made, as soon there is an image of anything remotely remarkable, people online will cry Photoshop! This is regardless of whether the image is fake or not, or when it was made.

In this case, I consider it more likely that the picture was made with an extremely long lens. This tends to bunch up and flatten subjects that are actually rather spaced out into a compact, often unrealistic group. It is exactly what you would expect to see being used at a rocket launch.

Some images of buildings show this same effect - there barely appear to be any perspective.

[Dispatcher]

Well, this; Nike - Hercules:

... and this:

Edited July 28, 2015 by Dispatcher

[Xannari Ferrows]

The Delta-IV heavy. That thing sounds ....!

[Lime]

Delta IV heavy because the tanks burn.

[Xeldrak]

This is simply too hard

I mean...obviously:

But also:

[Camacha]

This is simply too hard

I mean...obviously:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Apollo_17_The_Last_Moon_Shot_Edit1.jpg

Impressive the machine certainly is, for both raw performance and missions achieved, but elegant it is not.

[Xeldrak]

It sure is elegant if you consider that is was designed and build with slide rules. No computer aided design, no computer simulations. Even the N-1 with it's 30 engines. They are, by the way, the basis for the NK-33 engines. 40 Year old engines that still surpass most modern rivals in terms of efficiency. Both these rockets are true jewels of engineering.

[Camacha]

It sure is elegant if you consider that is was designed and build with slide rules.

The manner of design has nothing to do with elegance. It is, compared to most other rockets, a rather unwieldy stocky... thing. A very impressively built and powerful thing, I might add. I applaud its achievements and place in history, but when points for elegance are passed around, there are a lot of contenders that probably fare better.

Some rockets have grace, beauty even, others just look like they are there to do business. It is somewhat like a Chinook in that way, come to think of it.

[Sidereus]

Saturn V. Could there be any other?

And I suppose the Delta IV Heavy. Only actual rocket I've made a repro of in KSP, mostly because it's fairly easy to do with the Orange Tanks and mainsails.

Ah, the infamous first law of Camacha comes into play. It does not matter what the subject is or when the photo is made, as soon there is an image of anything remotely remarkable, people online will cry Photoshop! This is regardless of whether the image is fake or not, or when it was made.

In this case, I consider it more likely that the picture was made with an extremely long lens. This tends to bunch up and flatten subjects that are actually rather spaced out into a compact, often unrealistic group. It is exactly what you would expect to see being used at a rocket launch.

Some images of buildings show this same effect - there barely appear to be any perspective.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/Nybldgs.jpg

It probably is due to compression distortion, but image manipulation did exist long before Photoshop, and the Soviets were well acquainted with the technique.

[Camacha]

image manipulation did exist long before Photoshop, and the Soviets were well acquainted with the technique.

The people online crying Photoshop! are a relatively new phenomena

[Goddess Bhavani]

The Energia was a monster of a heavy lifter that was used to send the Buran into space.

The Vulkan was a monster of a heavy lifter, with our moar booster strategy applied. No further explanation required. I mean, look at it, it's like a Soviet SLS that could have existed 2-3 decades ago in a far-fetched alternate timeline.

[Albert VDS]

These things are though, but to me the Falcon 9 is the best because it's a game changer.

Followed closely by Saturn V, for obvious reasons

[RogueMason]

Hmm... the Saturn V goes without saying, really, but the STS is pretty freaking cool, if a bit haphazard.

[Kagame]

Block 2 SLS. Yes, it hasn't flown yet. Still, even in Block 1 configuration, it launches far more mass into space than the Falcon 9 Heavy (and with a useful fairing diameter, unlike the dubious sizing of the F9H), Energia... heck, anything since the Saturn V. And with far, far more efficiency. Also, because I'm going to beat its IRL 120-ton-to-space record someday. Count on it. =)

[Camacha]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/SLSEVO.png/350px-SLSEVO.png

Block 2 SLS. Yes, it hasn't flown yet. Still, even in Block 1 configuration, it launches far more mass into space than the Falcon 9 Heavy

It should launch. Considering lots of promises have been made in the past about numerous space vehicles that often were not quite realized, I am a bit hesitant to sell the skin before shooting the bear.

[BagelRabbit]

Ah, the infamous first law of Camacha comes into play. It does not matter what the subject is or when the photo is made, as soon there is an image of anything remotely remarkable, people online will cry Photoshop!

Ah, the famous law of UpsilonAerospace comes into play. It states that whenever there's an exceedingly common but little-commented-upon effect that happens on the Internet, people will somehow think that they were the ones to discover or publicize it, and will thus name it after themselves.

(irony fully intended)

As for my favorite rocket, I'd have to give that distinction to Orbital Science's Pegasus rocket.

These little guys are extremely cheap, they're surprisingly reliable (at least since 1995 or so), they're small and cute, they feature a really neat method of launch, and they're arguably the closest things we have to orbital spaceplanes today.

Here's your standard Wikipedia article for more! I would recommend reading through this little guy, especially if you haven't heard much about the Pegasus rocket yet.

-Upsilon

Edited July 28, 2015 by UpsilonAerospace

[Camacha]

I have always like the somewhat awkward beauty or the early Ariane family. It feels pretty utilitarian and more crafted from separate pieces that do not quite match than one complete design as such. The Ariane 5 is a much more complete and together craft, though the 6 seems to be more intermediate between the two. Sleeker than 1 to 4, but definitely not as well-rounded as the 6.

Ah, the famous law of UpsilonAerospace comes into play. It states that whenever there's an exceedingly common but little-commented-upon effect that happens on the Internet, people will somehow think that they were the ones to discover or publicize it, and will thus name it after themselves.

Robert Hooke was also not too pleased when Newton described something everyone had seen, but no one bothered to properly write it down No worries, I will destroy none of your portraits.