Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Rockets opened the path to space—but they may not be how we get there for much longer. From space elevators and orbital rings to mass drivers and skyhooks, we explore the technologies that could replace rockets and reshape how humanity reaches orbit. A century after Robert H. Goddard first launched the modern era of rocketry, we look ahead to what comes next—and whether rockets are just the beginning.
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Credits: Beyond Rockets - 100 Years of Rocketry and What Comes Next
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Charles Slatkin
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:48 The Pioneering Century
5:49 The Physics of Rockets
8:20 The Coming Revolution in Launch Systems
11:50 Beyond Rockets — The Alternative Gateways to Space
12:26 Space Elevators
13:49 Skyhooks and Rotovators
15:04 Orbital Rings
17:58 Mass Drivers and Coilguns
19:05 Nebula
20:18 Launch Loops and Dynamic Tethers
21:13 High-Altitude and Hybrid Launch Systems
22:39 Toward a Post-Rocket Civilization
23:15 The Road Ahead — Humanity’s Next Launch Century
Rockets opened the path to space—but they may not be how we get there for much longer. From space elevators and orbital rings to mass drivers and skyhooks, we explore the technologies that could replace rockets and reshape how humanity reaches orbit. A century after Robert H. Goddard first launched the modern era of rocketry, we look ahead to what comes next—and whether rockets are just the beginning.
Get Nebula using my link for 50% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
Watch my exclusive video Lazarus Protocols: nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-lazarus-protocols-reviving-civilizations-after-extinction
Check out Day Pass: nebula.tv/daypass?ref=isaacarthur
🚀 Join this channel to get access to perks: youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g/join
🛒 SFIA Merchandise: isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall.com
🌐 Visit our Website: isaacarthur.net
🎬 Join Nebula: go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur
❤️ Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/IsaacArthur
⭐ Support us on Subscribestar: subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur
👥 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264
📣 Reddit Community: reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur
🐦 Follow on Twitter / X: twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur
💬 SFIA Discord Server: discord.gg/53GAShE
Credits: Beyond Rockets - 100 Years of Rocketry and What Comes Next
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editor: Charles Slatkin
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:48 The Pioneering Century
5:49 The Physics of Rockets
8:20 The Coming Revolution in Launch Systems
11:50 Beyond Rockets — The Alternative Gateways to Space
12:26 Space Elevators
13:49 Skyhooks and Rotovators
15:04 Orbital Rings
17:58 Mass Drivers and Coilguns
19:05 Nebula
20:18 Launch Loops and Dynamic Tethers
21:13 High-Altitude and Hybrid Launch Systems
22:39 Toward a Post-Rocket Civilization
23:15 The Road Ahead — Humanity’s Next Launch Century
