The Next Space Race: 40+ Unbuilt Rockets and Spacecraft That Will Change Humanity Forever!

Introduction

Humanity is in the midst of a second, and arguably more dynamic, Space Age. This new era is defined by a global resurgence in national space ambitions and the explosive growth of a commercial space industry. Where the first Space Race was a duel between two superpowers, today’s landscape is a multipolar and multifaceted ecosystem of government agencies, private-sector giants, and agile startups.

This article provides a comprehensive catalog of the next generation of spaceflight systems currently planned or in development around the world. It focuses on vehicles that are not yet fully operational, representing the leading edge of aerospace engineering.

The list is organized into five primary categories:

1. Crewed Spacecraft: Vehicles designed to transport and house humans in Earth orbit, cislunar space, and on the lunar surface.
2. Orbital Launch Vehicles: The rockets designed to carry crews and cargo from Earth into orbit.
3. Space Stations: Orbital outposts designed for long-term human habitation and research.
4. Interplanetary Transport Systems: The habitats, propulsion systems, and architectures designed for long-duration human missions beyond the Earth-Moon system.
5. Key Enabling Technologies: The new engines and operational concepts that make these future systems possible.

Within each category, a distinction is made between actively funded projects, those that are postponed or uncertain, and those that have been canceled or remain purely conceptual studies.

Part 1: Crewed Spacecraft and Habitats

This section covers vehicles designed to transport and house humans in space.

Actively in Development or Testing

These vehicles are actively funded and are in various stages of manufacturing, integration, or flight testing.

• NASA Orion: The primary crew capsule for NASA’s Artemis program, designed for deep-space missions. Orion successfully completed its uncrewed test flight (Artemis I). Its first crewed flight, Artemis II, is planned as a lunar flyby.
• SpaceX Starship Human Landing System (HLS): A modified variant of the Starship spacecraft, contracted by NASA to serve as the crewed lander for the Artemis III and Artemis V lunar missions.
• Blue Origin Blue Moon (Mark 2): A large, crewed lunar lander contracted by NASA as the second HLS provider, intended to be used for the Artemis V mission.
• CMSA Mengzhou: (Meaning “Dream Vessel”) China’s next-generation crewed spacecraft, designed for both low-Earth orbit and lunar missions. It is in active development as part of China’s plan to land taikonauts on the Moon by 2030.
• CMSA Lanyue: (Meaning “Embracing the Moon”) The crewed lunar lander being developed to work in conjunction with the Mengzhou spacecraft. It is designed to transport two taikonauts from lunar orbit to the surface.
• ISRO Gaganyaan: (Meaning “Sky-Craft”) India’s first crewed spacecraft. This orbital capsule is in the final stages of uncrewed testing, with the first uncrewed orbital flight planned for late 2025 and the first crewed mission targeted for 2027.

Indefinitely Postponed or Uncertain

• Boeing Starliner (CST-100): A capsule developed for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Its first crewed test flight in June 2024 experienced multiple severe technical failures. The vehicle is not certified for operational missions, and its next test flight, delayed to at least early 2026, is being evaluated to fly uncrewed.
• Roscosmos Orel: A next-generation spacecraft intended to replace the Soyuz. The program has faced severe, multi-year delays and was reportedly postponed indefinitely in late 2025 to save costs.
• Sierra Space Dream Chaser (Crewed Version): While the uncrewed cargo version of the Dream Chaser spaceplane is operational, the crewed version is not in active, funded development.

Canceled and Conceptual Programs

• ESA/CNES Hermes: (Europe/France) A 1980s-90s program to develop a reusable spaceplane, launched atop an Ariane 5 rocket. The project was led by France but was canceled in 1992 due to high costs and technical complexity.
• JAXA HOPE-X: (Japan) An experimental, uncrewed reusable spaceplane. It was designed to be launched on an H-IIA rocket and served as a technology demonstrator. After several successful atmospheric test flights, the program was canceled in 2003.
• NASA Altair: (USA) The crewed lunar lander for the Constellation program (Ares I/Ares V). The program was canceled in 2010.
• NASA X-20 Dyna-Soar: (USA) A 1960s U.S. Air Force/NASA program for a reusable military spaceplane. It was canceled in 1963 before any crewed flights.
• NASA X-38 Crew Return Vehicle: (USA) A “lifeboat” prototype designed to provide an emergency return from the ISS. It was flight-tested in the atmosphere but was canceled in 2002.
• NASA HL-20 Personnel Launch System: (USA) A 1990s concept for a reusable, 10-person crewed vehicle based on a lifting body design. It did not advance beyond mock-ups.
• NASA Big Gemini: (USA) A 1960s concept to scale up the Gemini spacecraft for space station logistics or cislunar missions. It was never funded.
• Buran Program: (Soviet Union) The Soviet equivalent of the Space Shuttle. The Buran orbiter flew one successful uncrewed mission in 1988 but the program was canceled in 1993 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• LOK & LK: (Soviet Union) The two components of the canceled Soviet crewed lunar program. The Soyuz 7K-LOK (Orbital Ship) was the command module, and the LK (Lunar Craft) was the one-cosmonaut lander. They were never flown to the Moon.
• TKS Spacecraft: (Soviet Union) A large, reusable spacecraft designed to service the Almaz military space stations. Several flew uncrewed, but the full crewed program was canceled.
• HOTOL / Skylon: (United Kingdom) HOTOL was a 1980s concept for a single-stage-to-orbit spaceplane with a unique air-breathing rocket engine. Its spiritual successor, Skylon, was proposed by Reaction Engines Limited but remains a concept without a funded development program.

Part 2: Orbital Launch Vehicles

This section covers rockets designed to launch payloads into Earth orbit. The landscape is dominated by a few heavy-lift giants being built for national ambitions and a crowded field of small-lift startups competing for the commercial satellite market.

Actively in Development or Testing

Heavy and Super-Heavy-Lift Vehicles

• United States
  • SpaceX Starship: A fully reusable, super-heavy-lift launch vehicle. It is currently in an iterative orbital flight test program.
  • Blue Origin New Glenn: A partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle. Its maiden flight in early 2025 reached orbit, but the first-stage booster failed to land. It is not yet certified for operational missions.
  • Relativity Space Terran R: A medium-to-heavy-lift, partially reusable rocket constructed with large-scale 3D printing. A first flight is planned for 2026.
• China
  • Long March 10: A new state-owned super-heavy-lift rocket in development specifically to launch the Mengzhou spacecraft and Lanyue lander for crewed lunar missions.
• Russia
  • Yenisei: A super-heavy-lift rocket proposed for Russia’s lunar program. The project has been repeatedly paused and redesigned, and its development status is currently uncertain.

Medium-Lift Vehicles

• United States
  • Rocket Lab Neutron: A medium-lift, partially reusable rocket. Its first orbital launch attempt is planned for late 2025.
  • Firefly Aerospace MLV: A medium-lift launch vehicle being co-developed by Firefly Aerospace and Northrop Grumman.
  • Stoke Space Nova: A fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle featuring a novel reusable second stage, currently in the engine testing phase.
• China
  • LandSpace Zhuque-3 (ZQ-3): A large, reusable methalox rocket from a private company, designed to rival the Falcon 9. Its maiden flight is expected in late 2025.
  • Galactic Energy Pallas-1: A private, reusable liquid-fueled rocket. It completed major ground tests in November 2025 and is preparing for its maiden flight.
  • Other Commercial Vehicles: A large number of other private rockets are in development, including i-Space Hyperbola-3, CAS Space Kinetica-2, Orienspace Gravity-2, and Space Pioneer Tianlong-3.
• India
  • LMLV / NGLV: The Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV), formerly Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), is a new heavy-lift, reusable rocket being developed by ISRO to support the Gaganyaan program and future lunar missions.
• Russia
  • Amur / Soyuz-7: A partially reusable methalox-fueled rocket intended to replace the Soyuz-2. Development has been slow, and its first flight is not expected before 2030.

Small-Lift Vehicles

• Europe (France, Germany, Spain, UK)
  • MaiaSpace Maia: (France) A private company and subsidiary of ArianeGroup, developing a partially reusable methalox rocket. Maiden flight targeted for 2026.
  • Latitude Zephyr: (France) A startup developing a two-stage, 3D-printed microlauncher, with a first launch planned for 2026.
  • Sirius Space Services SIRIUS: (France) A startup developing a range of reusable “mini-launchers.”
  • Isar Aerospace Spectrum: (Germany) A small-satellite launch vehicle. Its first test flight in March 2025 failed shortly after liftoff.
  • Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) RFA One: (Germany) A small-satellite launch vehicle, with its maiden flight planned for late 2025.
  • HyImpulse SL1: (Germany) A small orbital launcher using hybrid propulsion, with a first launch planned for 2026.
  • PLD Space Miura 5: (Spain) A small-satellite launch vehicle, with demonstration flights planned to begin in 2026.
  • Orbex Prime: (United Kingdom) A small-satellite launch vehicle. Its maiden flight from Scotland is projected for late 2025 or early 2026.
  • Skyrora XL: (United Kingdom) A small-satellite launch vehicle in active development, having secured a launch license in August 2025.
• India
  • Skyroot Aerospace Vikram-1: A private small-satellite launch vehicle. The first orbital launch is planned for early 2026.
• South Korea
  • KSLV-III: The designated successor to the operational Nuri (KSLV-II) rocket. This is a state-led, two-stage rocket with a first launch planned by 2030.
• Australia
  • Gilmour Space Technologies Eris: A private, hybrid-propulsion rocket. Its maiden test flight in July 2025 failed shortly after launch. The company is in production on the next vehicle.
• Canada
  • Reaction Dynamics Aurora-8: A hybrid-propulsion small-satellite launcher in development in Quebec. The company is partnered with Maritime Launch Services to launch from Spaceport Nova Scotia, with a first orbital attempt targeted for 2028.
  • NordSpace Tundra: A reusable, 500-kg-payload launch vehicle being developed in Ontario. The company is also developing the Atlantic Spaceport Complex (ASX) in Newfoundland & Labrador.
• Brazil
  • VLM-1: A three-stage solid-fuel rocket for launching microsatellites. After delays, the first flight is now planned for no earlier than 2028.
• North Korea
  • Chollima-1: The nation’s current orbital launch vehicle. It is considered to be in an active, developmental test phase, having achieved one success after multiple failures.

Canceled and Conceptual Programs

• NASA Ares V and Ares I: (USA) The primary launch vehicles for the canceled Constellation program.
• NASA X-30 (National Aero-Space Plane): (USA) An ambitious 1980s-90s joint NASA/USAF project to create a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle powered by scramjets.
• NASA X-33 / VentureStar: (USA) The X-33 was a subscale demonstrator for VentureStar, a planned commercial SSTO. The program was canceled in 2001.
• NASA Sea Dragon: (USA) A 1960s conceptual design for a colossal, sea-launched, and fully reusable rocket.
• NASA Nova: (USA) A family of super-heavy-lift rocket designs studied by NASA in the 1960s as alternatives to the Saturn V.
• NASA Saturn C-Series: (USA) A series of rocket configurations (C-2, C-3, C-4, C-8) proposed in the early 1960s before NASA finalized the Saturn V (C-5) design.
• NASA Shuttle-C: (USA) A recurring proposal to develop an uncrewed, cargo-only variant of the Space Shuttle.
• N1 Rocket: (Soviet Union) The super-heavy-lift rocket designed for the Soviet crewed lunar program. All four test launches failed catastrophically, leading to the program’s cancellation in 1974.
• Energia: (Soviet Union) A super-heavy-lift rocket that flew twice, once with a test payload and once launching the uncrewed Buran shuttle. The program was canceled after the fall of the Soviet Union.
• Rus-M: (Russia) A 2000s-era rocket program intended to replace the Soyuz and launch the Orelspacecraft. It was canceled in 2011.
• Ariane Next: (Europe/France) The conceptual, partially reusable successor to the operational Ariane 6. It is in the early study phase and aims to use Prometheus methalox engines.
• Black Arrow: (United Kingdom) The UK’s indigenous orbital launch vehicle. It successfully launched the Prospero satellite in 1971, but the program was canceled in favor of using American rockets.
• J-I: (Japan) A 1990s rocket that combined the solid rocket booster of the H-II with the upper stage of the M-3SII. It flew once (a suborbital test) and was canceled due to high costs.
• ABL Space Systems RS1 (USA): A private small-satellite launch vehicle. The program was terminated in 2024 after a maiden flight failure and a static fire test explosion.
• Cyclone-4M (Ukraine/Canada): This Ukrainian-built rocket was planned to launch from Maritime Launch Services in Canada, but the agreement was terminated in 2024.

Part 3: Space Stations

This section covers crewed orbital outposts. The current development boom is driven by the impending 2030 retirement of the International Space Station (ISS). To avoid a “gap” in U.S. human presence in orbit, NASA’s Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program is actively funding the development of several private American successors.

Actively in Development or Planning

• Lunar Gateway (International): An international, human-tended outpost planned for orbit around the Moon. It is the central staging point for the Artemis program. Its first modules are in advanced production.
• Axiom Station (USA): A commercial station from Axiom Space. Its unique plan involves first attaching its modules to the ISS. After the ISS is retired, the Axiom modules will detach and become a free-flying, independent station.
• Starlab (USA/Europe): A commercial station from Starlab Space (a joint venture of Voyager Space and Airbus), part of NASA’s CLD program.
• Vast Haven-1 (USA): A private, single-module commercial space station. Vast is targeting a launch no earlier than May 2026.
• Orbital Reef (USA): A large, modular commercial “business park” in space, led by Blue Origin and Sierra Space as part of the CLD program.
• Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS) (Russia): The planned national successor to Russia’s segment of the ISS. The project is in the preliminary design phase but has faced significant delays.
• Bharatiya Antariksha Station (India): India’s planned indigenous space station, with a first module planned for launch by 2028.
• Tiangong Station Expansion (China): While the core Tiangong station is operational, China has active plans to expand the complex from three to six modules.

Canceled and Conceptual Programs

• NASA Space Station Freedom (USA): The 1980s NASA-led project that was the precursor to the ISS. Its framework and some hardware designs were merged into the ISS program in 1993.
• NASA Skylab B: (USA) A second Skylab space station built from backup Apollo hardware. It was never launched and is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum.
• USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) (USA): A 1960s U.S. Air Force program for a crewed military reconnaissance space station. It was canceled in 1969.
• Mir-2: (Soviet Union/Russia) The planned successor to the Mir space station. It was never built, and its core module, Zvezda, was repurposed as the service module for the Russian segment of the ISS.
• Almaz Program: (Soviet Union) A highly secret 1960s-70s military space station program. Several Almazstations were successfully launched and crewed under the civilian Salyut designation (Salyut 2, Salyut 3, Salyut 5).

Part 4: Interplanetary Transport Systems

This section includes vehicles, habitats, and architectures designed for human travel beyond Earth orbit.

Active/Funded Systems

• Blue Origin Lunar Transporter: An in-space propellant transfer vehicle being developed as part of the Blue Moon HLS architecture to refuel the lander in lunar orbit.

Canceled and Conceptual Programs

• NASA Project Constellation: (USA) An end-to-end program (circa 2005-2010) designed to return humans to the Moon and establish a permanent base as a stepping stone to Mars.
• NASA Space Exploration Initiative (SEI): (USA) A 1989 initiative to return to the Moon and conduct a human mission to Mars. It was canceled in the early 1990s after its estimated cost failed to gain political support.
• NASA Apollo Applications Program (AAP): (USA) A 1960s plan to use surplus Apollo hardware for missions, including a crewed Venus flyby. Canceled as focus shifted to the Space Shuttle.
• NASA Deep Space Transport (DST): (USA) A 2017 concept for a reusable interplanetary transport vehicle, designed to be assembled at the Lunar Gateway for crewed Mars missions.
• NASA Nautilus-X: (USA) A 2011 conceptual study for a long-duration, modular deep-space vehicle featuring a large rotating torus to provide artificial gravity.
• Martian Piloted Complex (MPK): (Soviet Union) A 1960s concept for a crewed Mars mission, requiring dozens of N1 rocket launches to assemble in Earth orbit. It was purely conceptual.
• Mars 96: (Russia) An ambitious robotic Mars mission that failed in 1996 due to a launch vehicle malfunction.
• Phobos-Grunt: (Russia) A 2011 robotic mission to return samples from Mars’ moon Phobos. It failed to leave Earth orbit after launch.
• Aurora Programme: (Europe/ESA) A long-term framework (established 2001) for the robotic and eventual human exploration of the Moon and Mars. While it has produced robotic missions like ExoMars, its crewed components remain conceptual and unfunded.

Part 5: Key Enabling Technologies

The ambitious projects listed above are not just iterative improvements; they are made possible by fundamental shifts in underlying technology.

Advanced Propulsion (Methalox and Hybrid)

The vast majority of new, large rockets – including Starship, New Glenn, Terran R, Neutron, and Zhuque-3 – are built around methalox engines. These engines burn liquid methane (CH4) with liquid oxygen (LOX). This propellant is seen as a “golden mean” combination, offering higher performance and cleaner-burning (less “coking”) than kerosene, while being much easier and cheaper to handle than deeply cryogenic liquid hydrogen.

In-Space Refueling

The physics of lifting mass out of Earth’s gravity well means that even the largest rockets cannot send a fully-fueled crewed lander to the Moon and back in one go. The architecture for both the Starship HLS and the Blue Moon Mk. 2 lander depends on in-space refueling. SpaceX plans to use an “orbital depot” in Earth orbit, visited by multiple “tanker” Starships to fill the lunar lander’s tanks. Blue Origin’s architecture uses a Lunar Transporter that pre-positions fuel in lunar orbit.

Nuclear Propulsion

For rapid trips to Mars, chemical rockets are too slow, exposing crews to long periods of radiation. Nuclear propulsion offers a high-efficiency, high-thrust solution.

• Project Orion: (USA) A 1950s study for a spacecraft propelled by a series of nuclear explosions. Canceled after the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty.
• NERVA: (USA) A highly successful 1960s NASA/AEC program to build a nuclear thermal engine (NTR), which uses a fission reactor to superheat liquid hydrogen. The engines were successfully ground-tested but the program was canceled in 1973.
• NASA Project Prometheus: (USA) A 2000s-era program to develop nuclear-electric propulsion systems for deep space missions. Canceled in 2005.
• NASA/DARPA DRACO: (USA) A recent program to finally test an NTR in orbit, representing a serious renewal of interest in the technology.

Reusable Rocket Demonstrators

To develop the technologies for next-generation reusable launchers, European agencies are actively building and testing sub-orbital prototypes.

• Themis: (ESA/France) An ESA program, with ArianeGroup as the lead, to build a reusable first-stage demonstrator powered by the Prometheus methalox engine.
• Callisto: (France/Germany/Japan) A joint reusable-rocket demonstrator being developed by the space agencies of France (CNES), Germany (DLR), and Japan (JAXA) to test the systems for a reusable launch vehicle.

An Era of Unprecedented Development

The sheer length and diversity of this list underscore a simple fact: the current era of space development is one of the most dynamic and competitive in history. The coming decade will be defined by which of these ambitious projects make the leap from blueprint to launch pad.

Several key trends emerge from this catalog. The first is the undeniable shift toward reusability, a design philosophy pioneered by the Space Shuttle and perfected by SpaceX, which now underpins nearly every major new launch vehicle. The second is the rise of private capital and commercial competition, most evident in the crowded field of European, American, and Chinese launch startups, as well as the race to build a commercial successor to the ISS.

Finally, the list highlights a multipolar new space race. The state-led efforts of China and India to achieve independent human spaceflight are proceeding with a speed and focus that rivals the Artemis program.

While the technical and financial challenges of spaceflight remain immense, and it is a certainty that not all of these projects will become operational, the breadth of these efforts is transformative. From small satellite launchers to interplanetary transports, the global pursuit of these new systems guarantees that humanity’s capabilities in space are on the verge of a significant evolution.