What is your favourite rocket?

[Le Lynx]

Pour moi, c'est Ariane 4.

All types of rockets is valables.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Le Lynx

[Just Jim]

Ariane 5... I really fell in love with it working on the Rosetta and BepiColombo missions... what a beautiful beast!

[OrdinaryKerman]

For me it's either Soyuz/R7 or Falcon 9. R7 because of the historic feats it launched (first ICBM, first satellite, first lunar encounter, first impactor, first multi-person crew, first EVA, first soft-landing, first Venus landing, and more), how futureproof the basic design turned out to be, the symmetry of the Korolev cross, and the the sloping, pointy boosters. F9 for obvious reasons (partial reusability and regular propulsive landing, relatively low cost for a medium-lift LV that can actually still be lower and turn out a profit), and the fact it doesn't need boosters.

[Le Lynx]

Yes, this 3 rocket are incredible.

[razark]

The M6A1.

Spoiler

(On the left)

 

[tater]

Currently flying to orbit? Falcon 9.

Historical launch vehicles? Saturn V.

Launch vehicles currently under development? Starship/Super Heavy.

[wumpus]

Seriously planned?  The Orion (for some values of seriousness.  They were serious, but the people who needed to sign the big checks had to have been laughing).

Ever launched?  Saturn V.

Currently launching?  I'm a big fan of Falcon Heavy and think it is greatly unappreciated.  Then again, it might help if they ever managed to bring all three boosters home.

[Pie Guy]

Falcon Heavy. It's truly a display of humanity's technological advancement. A high-mass payload to LEO on a reusable rocket, all for the cost of only ~$90 million. Absolutely spectacular!

[RCgothic]

Falcon 9 is simply the best looking rocket flying today, and makes it look routine and easy compared to every other rocket.

In the 90s I was a fan of the Ariane4, not sure why now looking back.

[Ethan13]

All rockets are fine. This is a very difficult choice. I like all modern rockets. Each of the missiles that are being launched now has some interesting advantages.
I really love that new startup can rush into the race thanks to the advancement of 3D printing and composites. Hopefully, I can pick my favourite when the Skyrora XL launches.

[sevenperforce]

Everyone knows I dig SpaceX but I'm going to limit myself to aesthetics on this.

For the sensation of rugged unbridled power, Delta IV Heavy with the long fairing is just breathtaking. 

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For launching people, the Soyuz-FG is glorious. Gorgeous curves, hot staging, the launch pad that opens up like a flower, and the neat verniers for control. It's a rocket that looks good at every stage (no pun intended) of flight, like every single part is just doing what it is supposed to do and nothing else. And there's something just so amazing about 32 separate combustion chambers igniting at once.

Spoiler

I'm not a fan of the Atlas V with the small fairing, but with the 5 meter fairing and a handful of SRBs, it's really really sharp.

Spoiler

Most Chinese rockets seem ungainly to me (and of course I deeply dislike hypergolics), but the Long March 5B just looks very satisfying.

Spoiler

Finally, for ridiculously bad ideas that nonetheless just looked awesome, there's always the Ares I.

Spoiler

 

[munlander1]

The Delta four has a super cool look.

[SunlitZelkova]

As evidenced by my profile picture, N1 (in terms of ever flew at all).

For a thing that has flown successfully, probably either the R-7s used for deep space probes (Luna, Molniya), or Mercury-Redstone.

For concept, probably the Saturn V with the proposed IPP crewed Mars mission spacecraft atop it.

Edited March 29, 2021 by SunlitZelkova

[MKI]

I know it isn't technically a rocket, but I'm going to say The Space Shuttle. 

 

Yes it was a death trap, and the most dangerous space vehicle ever and not economical at all.

But dear gosh, did it look like the idea of what the future of space travel should of been. The idea of a space plane, is why its my favorite. 

 

 

[StrandedonEarth]

11 minutes ago, MKI said:

I know it isn't technically a rocket, but I'm going to say The Space Shuttle. 

 

Yes it was a death trap, and the most dangerous space vehicle ever and not economical at all.

But dear gosh, did it look like the idea of what the future of space travel should of been. The idea of a space plane, is why its my favorite. 

 

 

If you want to call it by its official name of  STS, the full system is a rocket. And I agree, it was a big, beautiful, bird with capabilities unmatched before or since. It had its flaws, but it was an experimental vehicle thrust into operational status. 

I grew up on it. It was flying for the majority of my life. 

[kerbiloid]

It's a thread about rockets, but Orion is not a rocket.

[Lo.M]

Sounding rocket: Stardust 1.0

Orbit rocket: Falcon 9

Historical rocket: Saturn V.

Outher: Ariane 4

Brazilian Rocket: VLS-1 and VS-40

Projects: VLM

Not Rocket: Medusa Project 

[Dfthu]

The Delta III

or the Titan IV

 

[Ben J. Kerman]

Although technically not a rocket, and it is not in service anymore, I really liked the Space Shuttle. I know it was really expensive, but I thought it was cool.

[MKI]

1 hour ago, Ben J. Kerman said:

I thought it was cool.

this.

[kerbalgod]

my favorite is the Apollo 11 aka saturn v

[razark]

I can't help but wonder what the shuttle is if it's not a rocket...

[JB182]

i fell in love with space launch system and starship. also ariane 5,6 and saturn 5, also soyuz, atlas v and more

[mikegarrison]

I first was going to answer "serpentine", and then I realized you were asking about a favorite "rocket" and not a favorite "rock".

[Le Lynx]

19 hours ago, JB182 said:

i fell in love with space launch system and starship. also ariane 5,6 and saturn 5, also soyuz, atlas v and more

A lot of rocket!