Propulsion System	Type	Maximum Thrust (kN)	Specific Impulse (s)	Power Source	Usage/Application	Development Status
Chemical Rocket	Liquid	2000	300	RP-1/LOX	Launch Vehicle	In Service
Chemical Rocket	Solid	5000	250	HTPB	Space Shuttle Main Engine	Retired
Nuclear Thermal Rocket	Nuclear	800	850	Nuclear Reactor	Crewed Missions	In Development
Ion Thruster	Electric	0.1	3000	Xenon Gas	Deep Space Missions	In Service
Hall Effect Thruster	Electric	1.5	2500	Xenon Gas	Satellite Stationkeeping	In Service
Laser Propulsion	Optical	150	Varies	Laser Array	Experimental	Prototype
Magnetoplasma Dynamic Thruster	Electric	5	3000	Argon Gas	Spacecraft Maneuvering	In Development
Fusion Propulsion	Nuclear	1000	5000	Fusion Reaction	Interstellar Travel	Conceptual
Cold Gas Thruster	Chemical	0.5	60	Compressed Gas	Attitude Control	In Service
Thermal Rocket	Nuclear	600	600	Heat from Reactor	Crewed Missions	Experimental
Solar Sail	Solar	Varies	NaN	Sunlight Pressure	Deep Space Exploration	In Development
Electrically Heated Rocket	Electric	50	300	Electric Heating	Suborbital Flights	In Development
Pulsed Plasma Thruster	Electric	200	2000	Electric Arc	Satellite Propulsion	Prototype
Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket	Electric	25	4000	Plasma Production	Advanced Space Missions	In Development
Photon Thruster	Electric	0.01	Free Space	Laser Emission	Research Applications	In Development
Hybrid Rocket	Hybrid	800	280	Rubber/LOX	Suborbital Flights	In Service
Resistojet	Electric	5	400	Electric Heating	Low Thrust Maneuvering	In Service
Sonic Boom Engine	Acoustic	200	150	Acoustic Waves	High Speed Flight Research	Conceptual
Antimatter Drive	Nuclear	10000	Varies	Annihilation Energy	Theoretical Missions	Conceptual
Microwave Propulsion	Electric	20	Variable	Microwave Radiation	Spacecraft Propulsion	Prototype
Biomass Fuel Rocket	Chemical	300	250	Biomass Conversion	Green Space Missions	Conceptual
Stellarator Propulsion	Nuclear	500	Varies	Magnetic Fusion Plasma	Research	Conceptual
SpaceX Raptor Engine	Chemical	2300	330	RP-1/LOX	Launch Vehicle	In Service
NASA SLS RS-25	Chemical	1900	400	Liquid Hydrogen/Oxygen	Launch Vehicle	In Service
RBCC Engine	Hybrid	1000	450	RP-1/LOX + Air	Dual-Mode Flight	In Development
Plasma Arc Thruster	Electric	50	2000	Plasma Generation	Satellite Propulsion	Experimental
SpaceDrive Engine	Quantum	1000	Infinity	Quantum Field Manipulation	Interstellar Propulsion	Conceptual
Vortex Engine	Electromagnetic	500	Variable	Electromagnetic Fields	Theoretical Applications	Conceptual
Magnetic Scoop Propulsion	Magnetic	0.1	Variable	Magnetic Fields	Interstellar Scenarios	Conceptual
Thermonuclear Pulse Propulsion	Nuclear	5000	2000	Nuclear Fusion	Spacecraft Propulsion	Conceptual
Quantum Vacuum Plasma Thruster	Electric	10	5000	Quantum Fluctuations	Advanced Propulsion	Conceptual
Revolutionary Thermal Rocket	Nuclear	1000	400	Direct Thermal	Interplanetary Travel	Experimental
Firefly Engine	Chemical	150	280	Hybrid Mix	Small Launch Vehicles	Prototype
Electron Beam Thruster	Electric	0.2	3000	Electric Beam	Spacecraft Maneuvering	Experimental
Advanced NTR	Nuclear	800	850	Gas Core Reactors	Crewed Missions	In Development
Fission Fragment Rocket	Nuclear	5000	10000	Fission Fragments	Deep Space Exploration	Conceptual
Particle Beam Propulsion	Electric	1000	Variable	Particle Acceleration	Research Applications	Conceptual
Magnetoplasma Rocket	Electric	300	1500	Magnetic Fields	Interplanetary Missions	Prototype
'Nozzleless' Engine	Electric	300	500	Electric Arc	Spacecraft Propulsion	Theoretical
Hydrogen Staged Combustion Engine	Chemical	2000	350	Liquid Hydrogen/Oxygen	Launch Vehicle	In Development
Acoustic Propulsion	Acoustic	50	Variable	Acoustic Waves	Research Applications	Conceptual
Stellar Sail	Solar	0.01	NaN	Light Pressure	Interstellar Missions	In Development
Hyperloop Propulsion	Magnetic	1800	Varies	Electromagnetic Levitation	Ground Transportation	Prototype
Helion Engine	Nuclear	3500	600	Nuclear Fusion	Crewed Missions	Conceptual
Deep Space Engine	Nuclear	10000	500	Nuclear Pulse	Interstellar Travel	Conceptual
Dynamic Pumped Propulsion	Electric	200	800	Pumped fluid	Vehicle Acceleration	Prototype
Variable Rocket Engine	Chemical	3000	340	RP-1/LOX	Launch Vehicle	In Development
Solar Thermal Engine	Solar	250	400	Concentrated Solar	Space Applications	Research
Thermospheric Engine	Chemical	1200	320	Mono-propellant	Upper Atmosphere Research	Conceptual
SpaceLift	Electric	600	2500	Electric Field	Launch Assistance	In Development
Lunar Rover Engine	Chemical	200	280	Hydrazine	Lunar Exploration	In Service
Terraforming Thruster	Chemical	4000	300	Liquid Oxygen/Aviation Fuel	Planetary Missions	Conceptual
Electric Sky Propulsion	Electric	50	2000	High Voltage Electric	Suborbital Research	Prototype
Nano Propulsion Systems	Electric	0.02	2000	Nanomaterial Reactions	Nanosatellite Propulsion	Experimental
Quantum Dot Engine	Quantum	30	Infinity	Quantum Fluctuations	Research	Prototype
Freon Rocket	Chemical	250	150	Freon/LOX	Small Launch Vehicles	Prototype
Enhanced VASIMR	Electric	200	3000	Plasma Heating	Deep Space Missions	In Development
Gas Core NTR	Nuclear	1600	2000	Gas Core Reactor	Planetary Missions	Conceptual
Hypervelocity Projectile Engine	Kinetic	500	Variable	Kinetic Impact	Research Applications	Conceptual
Supercritical Water Reactor Engine	Nuclear	1000	400	Supercritical Water	Suborbital Research	In Development
Field Emission Electric Engine	Electric	0.5	3000	Field Emission	Research Applications	Experimental
Superhydride Propulsion System	Chemical	600	600	Superhydrides	Interstellar Propulsion	Conceptual
Aerospike Engine	Chemical	2300	400	RP-1/LOX	Reusable Launch System	In Service
Experimental Fusion Engine	Nuclear	5000	5000	Experimental Fusion	Deep Space Exploration	Research
Radiation Drive	Nuclear	2000	1000	Radiation Pressure	Advanced Propulsion	Conceptual
Hypergolic Engine	Chemical	1000	300	Hypergolic Propellant	Space Shuttle	In Service
Atmospheric Skimmer Engine	Hybrid	500	300	Atmospheric Air + Fuel	Low to High Altitude Travel	Conceptual
Low Thrust Propulsion System	Electric	5	2000	Ionization	Satellite Transport	In Service
Thorium Molten Salt Engine	Nuclear	800	700	Thorium Reactor	Advanced Space Missions	Conceptual
Artificial Gravity Engine	Mechanical	1000	Varies	Rotational Forces	Space Station Applications	Conceptual
Thermal Expansion Rocket	Chemical	350	400	Solid Fuel	Small Launch Vehicles	Prototype
Hybrid-Electric Engine	Hybrid	1500	250	Electric + Fossil Fuel	Launch Vehicles	In Development
Electrocatalytic Engine	Electric	600	Variable	Catalytic Reaction	Advanced Propulsion	Prototype
Plasma Pulse Engine	Electric	100	4000	Plasma Focusing	Deep Space Research	Conceptual
Directional Coil Engine	Electric	5	2000	Coils	Attitude Control	Prototype
Advanced Spaceplane Engine	Hybrid	10000	450	Scramjet + Rocket	Reusable Suborbital	In Development
Hyperballistic Engine	Chemical	2000	350	RP-1/LOX	Spacecraft Acceleration	Conceptual
Pixel Engine	Nano	0.0001	30	Chemical Reactions	Nanosatellite Propulsion	Experimental
Swarm Propulsion Technology	Electric	2	5000	Micro Thrusters	Swarm Satellites	Research
Electrostatic Drive	Electric	0.5	10000	Electrostatic Forces	Research Applications	Experimental
Vortex Ring Engine	Chemical	3500	600	Liquid Propellant	Advanced Launch Vehicles	In Development
Graphene Powered Engine	Electric	500	2000	Graphene Reaction	Micro Satellite Propulsion	Prototype
Spacecraft Reaction Control System	Chemical	200	350	Mono-propellant	Attitude Control	In Service
Fuel Cell Rocket	Chemical	600	480	Hydrogen/Oxygen	Space Missions	In Development
Carbon Nanotube Engine	Electric	700	3000	Nanotube Reactions	Research Applications	Experimental
Induction Drive Engine	Electric	1.5	1500	Induction Heating	Low Thrust Maneuvering	Conceptual
Nanoscale Thruster	Electric	0.1	5000	Nano-reactions	Research Applications	Prototype
Triboelectric Engine	Electric	0.1	3000	Triboelectric Effect	Research Applications	Experimental
Volumetric Engine	Chemical	1200	380	Chemical Fuel Mix	Experimental Launch Vehicles	Conceptual
On-Demand Propulsion System	Chemical	1000	Variable	Variable Fuel,Research Applications"	Conceptual	NaN
Pulsed Fusion Drive	Nuclear	12000	Infinity	Fusion Reactions	Long-Distance Space Travel	Conceptual
Micro Rocket Engines	Chemical	10	350	Solid Propellant	Nanosatellite Propulsion	In Service
Thermoelectric Drive	Electric	60	2000	Thermoelectric Conversion	Advanced Propulsion	In Development
Refrigeration Propulsion Engine	Chemical	800	60	Refrigerant Mix	Atmospheric Research	Conceptual
Zero-Point Energy Drive	Quantum	Varies	Infinity	Quantum Field Manipulation	Interstellar Propulsion	Conceptual
Liquid Metal Thruster	Electric	5	2000	Liquid Metal	Satellite Maneuvering	Research
Slingshot Propulsion System	Mechanical	1000	Variable	Mechanical Force	Rocket Launch Assist	Conceptual
Advanced Air Breathing Engine	Hybrid	4000	300	Air + Liquid Fuel	High Speed Travel	In Development
Space Elevator Propulsion	Mechanical	25000	NaN	Mechanical Cable Systems	Orbital Launching	Conceptual
Suborbital Engine	Chemical	800	400	RP-1/LOX	Suborbital Flights	In Development
Solar Electric Propulsion System	Electric	5	3000	Solar Panels	Deep Space Missions	In Development
Thermal Rocket Engine	Chemical	1000	280	Solid Fuel	Research Applications	In Development
Ultra-high Temperature Engine	Nuclear	8000	3000	Nuclear Thermal	Advanced Space Missions	Conceptual
Low Earth Orbit Engine	Chemical	800	320	RP-1/LOX	Low Earth Orbit Operations	In Service
SpaceDust Engine	Electric	50	2000	Dust Reaction	Spacecraft Propulsion	Conceptual
Localized Propulsion Technology	Electric	1.5	Variable	Localized Force Application	Advanced Research	Experimental
Plasma Ram Drive	Electric	750	3000	Plasma Compression	Deep Space Research	Conceptual
Solar Collector Engine	Solar	2000	300	Solar Power	Spacecraft Maneuvering	Experimental
Nanoparticle Propulsion	Electric	0.01	2000	Nanoparticle Reactions	Nanosatellite Propulsion	Prototype
Thermodynamic Engine	Chemical	600	300	Chemical Reaction Heat	Research Applications	Conceptual
Thrumboidal Engine	Electric	750	1500	Thrumboidal Reaction	Deep Space Missions	Prototype
Sub-Atmospheric Engine	Chemical	1500	300	Liquid Propellant Mix	Research Applications	Conceptual
Microplasma Engine	Electric	1	2000	Microplasma Reactions	Nanosatellite Propulsion	Research
Experimental Gravitational Engine	Gravitational	3000	Costly	Gravitational Manipulation	Theoretical Missions	Conceptual
Integrated Solar Engine	Solar	500	Variable	COMAX Concentrators	Satellite Propulsion	In Development
Vortex Engine	Hybrid	8000	360	Hybrid Mix	Spacecraft Acceleration	In Service
TAE Technology Engine	Nuclear	5000	3000	Advanced Fusion	Interstellar Travel	Experimental
Plasma Particle Acceleration Engine	Electric	150	500	Plasma Acceleration	Research Applications	Experimental
Nuclear Fusion Thermal Propulsion	Nuclear	7000	3500	Nuclear Fusion Reaction	Interplanetary Travel	Conceptual
M-helicity Engine	Gravitational	1000	500	Magnetic Plasma	Theoretical Applications	Conceptual
Aerogel Fuel Engine	Chemical	500	200	Hydroxyl Charged Fuel	Experimental Space Missions	Conceptual
AC propulsion system	Electric	50	3000	Alternating Current	Satellite Propulsion	In Development
Acoustojet Drive	Acoustic	60	150	Acoustic Waves	Mud and Rock Probes	Conceptual
TipDrill Engine	Drill	80	250	Diamond Drill Fuel	Mining Operations	Prototype
Vertical Propulsion System	Electric	150	450	Vertical Fields	Testing Applications	Experimental
Magnetic Field Jet	Electric	90	2000	Magnetic Field Addition	Suborbital Flights	Conceptual
Phased Array Propulsion System	Electric	600	3000	Phase Control	Spacecraft Propulsion	Experimental
Kinetic Spiral Engine	Electric	400	2500	Kinetic Launch	High-Speed Aircraft	Conceptual
S-Cat Engine	Hybrid	200	600	Aerodynamic Catapult	Space Transport	Experimental
Controlled Detonation Flare Engine	Chemical	3500	150	Detonating Propellants	Launch Systems	Conceptual
Electromagnetic Launch Assist System	Electric	1200	300	Electromagnetic Fields	Launch Assist	In Service
Vibrational Drive Engine	Acoustic	70	600	Vibrational Patterns	Transport Applications	Conceptual
Blended Wing Body Propulsion	Hybrid	1500	450	Multiple Protocols	Heavy Lift Transport	In Development
Quantum State Engine	Quantum	500	Infinity	Quantum States	Theoretical Missions	Conceptual
Ripple Engine	Electric	300	4000	Electric Currents	Precision Maneuvering	Experimental
Solid-Liquid Propulsion System	Chemical	50	350	Hybrid fuels	Research Applications	In Development
Photon Orbital Engine	Electric	6000	5000	Photon Emission Control	Deep Space Travel	Prototype
Variable Capacity Engine	Chemical	1700	380	Adjustable Propellant System	Research	In Development
Active Plasma Engine	Electric	60	2500	Active Plasma Control	Satellite Maneuvering	Conceptual
Standard Hybrid Engine	Hybrid	2000	300	Proton/Air Fuel Mix	Reusable Transport	In Service
Textronic Engine	Electric	90	4000	Hydro Electrochemistry	General Propulsion	Experimental
Agitation Drive Engine	Electric	150	600	Micro Agitation	Fuel Booster Applications	Conceptual
Extremophilic Rocket Engine	Chemical	700	450	Extremophile Organics	Research Missions	Conceptual
Cavity Water Engine	Electric	70	3000	Water Molding	Research	Experimental
Project X Engine	Electric	2800	5000	Experimental Prototypes	Launch Research	Conceptual