If spaceplanes fly into space for part of their journey, transporting earthlings faster and faster around this globe, the purpose of a rocket is to launch a payload into orbit and beyond. Satellites or "rocket ships" need these boosters to begin their voyages.

Bonestell's rockets were based on designs by Von Braun and his colleagues. All the great rocketry pioneers, Tsiolkovsky, Goddard, Oberth, Ley, Von Braun and Korolev postulated multi-stage launch vehicles. The actual "rocket ship" would comprise the third stage, and would detatch to operate on its own in space.