A century after the first rocket launch, Ars staffers pick their favorites

Celebrating a century of rocket launches, Ars Technica staffers curated their favorite designs, highlighting vehicles from the iconic Saturn V to SpaceX's Starship. This retrospective emphasizes that rocketry, despite its 100-year history since Robert Goddard's first liquid-fueled rocket launch in 1926, retains a dynamic and almost artisanal quality. The article makes a compelling case for the enduring appeal of these machines, some of which, like the Saturn V, stand at an impressive 110.6 meters (363 feet) tall, taller than the Statue of Liberty. This contrasts sharply with the average modern orbital rocket, which often prioritizes cost-efficiency over the sheer spectacle and unique engineering solutions celebrated in this collection.