๐Ÿ’ฌ
DiscoverSpace DiscoverEarth DiscoverTech DiscoverHealth DiscoverCommunity
Rockets and Space Travel

Types of Rockets and Spacecraft

6 min read

Course: Rockets and Space Travel
Reading time: 6 min
Not all rockets are built for the same job. Some, like SpaceX's Falcon 9, are designed to launch satellites and cargo into orbit and then land back on Earth so parts of the rocket can be reused. Others, like NASA's Space Launch System, are built for powerful, one-time missions carrying astronauts toward the Moon. Spacecraft themselves come in many forms. Capsules such as the Crew Dragon carry astronauts to and from orbit, space stations like the International Space Station serve as long-term homes in orbit, and probes such as Voyager 1 travel far beyond our Solar System without ever carrying a crew. Reusability has changed spaceflight dramatically. Landing and reusing rocket boosters instead of building a brand new one for every launch has lowered the cost of reaching space and made more frequent missions possible.