Saturn V
1967-1973
The most powerful rocket ever flown operationally (until Falcon Heavy, 2018). 111 m tall, it launched all six crewed Apollo Moon landings.
Specs
110.6 m tall; 2,970 t at liftoff; first stage: 5 x F-1 engines = 7.5M lbf (33 MN); 43.5 t to the Moon; 13 launches, 12 full successes.
Why it matters
Each F-1 engine made more thrust than ~100 modern airliners combined, and the S-IC stage is 42 m long - longer than a football field. You can stand next to the real thing at Kennedy Space Center.