This section may include some projects with more hype than hope. Small startups around the world continue to work on new innovative launchers. China has the New Line (aiming to develop reusability first and orbital capability afterward), and the Nebula (taking a more conventional approach). Britain has Skyrora’s effort to put a modern spin on the ancient technology that was used for the UK government’s one and only satellite launch — the last standing after other domestic efforts there have gone bust. Germany has RFA trying to catch up to their local rivals’ Spectrum, which has flown while they have not. Spain has the little Miura, Taiwan has hopes for the low-tech Hapith, and in South Korea a company promised an incredibly tiny rocket ironically dubbed Blue Whale, before facing reality and pivoting toward something normal-sized. (Argentina, Brazil, and Turkey also hope to join the orbital club, but have not yet advanced far enough to have separate articles here.) More ambitiously, in the Pacific Northwest, Stoke Space is going for full two-stage reusability and medium capacity with their Nova, and out in the Mojave desert, SpinLaunch is trying to build a centrifugal flinger which will make first stages unnecessary, as long as your payload can survive extreme G forces.

The major aerospace giants don’t appear here anymore, now that the Vulcan, the Starship, and the New Glenn have all gone to orbit. The most mainstream and proven outfit to appear here is Rocket Lab with their Neutron, which might give SpaceX some genuine competition.

Many of these proposed rockets are as yet only a half-developed engine. At any given time, you will usually find only a few near the front of the list that have a mostly built rocket ready to test any time soon.