List of vehicle speed records

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The following is a list of speed records for various types of vehicles. This list only presents the single greatest speed achieved in each broad record category; for more information on records under variations of test conditions, see the specific article for each record category. As with many world records, there may be some dispute over the criteria for a record-setting event, the authority of the organization certifying the record, and the actual speed achieved.

Land vehicles

Main article: Land speed record
For rail vehicles, see § Rail vehicles.
  • ThrustSSC, which has held the land speed record since 1997
    ThrustSSC, which has held the land speed record since 1997
  • VeloX3, formerly the world's fastest human-powered vehicle
    VeloX3, formerly the world's fastest human-powered vehicle
  • Apollo 17 LRV, fastest vehicle driven on the Moon
    Apollo 17 LRV, fastest vehicle driven on the Moon
  • Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, the fastest production car
    Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, the fastest production car
  • JCB Dieselmax, the fastest diesel car
    JCB Dieselmax, the fastest diesel car
  • Buckeye Bullet 3, the fastest electric car
    Buckeye Bullet 3, the fastest electric car
  • Inspiration, the fastest steam powered vehicle
    Inspiration, the fastest steam powered vehicle
More information Category, Speed (km/h) ...
Land speed records by type of vehicle
Category Speed (km/h) Speed (mph) Vehicle Operator Date Certifier Refs
Land speed record[a] 1,227.985763.035 ThrustSSC Andy Green 15 Oct 1997 FIA [2]
Wheel-driven[b] 745.187463.038 Vesco Turbinator II Dave Spangler 14 Aug 2018 SCTA [3][4]
Piston-engine[c] 722.204448.757 Challenger 2 Danny Thompson 12 Aug 2018 SCTA [6]
Motorcycle[d] 605.698376.363 Ack Attack Rocky Robinson 25 Sep 2010 FIM [7]
Diesel-powered[e] 563.998350.452 JCB DieselMax Andy Green 23 Aug 2006 FIA [8]
Electric-powered[e] 550.627342.144 Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 Roger Schroer 19 Sep 2016 FIA [8]
Production 490.485304.773 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ Andy Wallace 2 Aug 2019 TÜV


Steam-powered[e] 238.679148.308 Inspiration Don Wales 25 Aug 2009 FIA [8]
Wind-powered[f] 225.58140.17 Horonuku Glenn Ashby 24 Feb 2023 FISLY [10]
Human-powered[g] 144.1789.58 AeroVelo Eta Todd Reichert 17 Sep 2016 IHPVA [12]
Solar-powered[h] 91.33256.751 Sky Ace TIGA Kenjiro Shinozuka 20 Aug 2014 GWR [13]
Tracked vehicle 121.975.7 modified M113 APC Carl May Jul/Aug 1979 US Army [14]
Radio-controlled car (rocket-powered) 338.14210.11 Black Knight Anthony Lovering 4 May 2016 GWR [15][16]
Radio-controlled car (battery-powered) 325.12202.02 RC Bullet Nic Case 25 Oct 2014 GWR [17][18]
Close
  1. [a]
    Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 mile (1.6 km) course, with flying start[1]
  2. [b]
    Average over 1 mile (1.6 km), with a flying start
  3. [c]
    Average over two subsequent runs with four hours to work on the vehicle in impound[5]
  4. [d]
    Average over 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), with a flying start
  5. [e]
    Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) course, with flying start[1]
  6. [f]
    Average over 50 metres (160 ft)[9]
  7. [g]
    Unpaced on a straight surface -0.6% grade;[11] average over 200 metres (660 ft), with flying start (For other cycling records, see cycling records)
  8. [h]
    For vehicles powered directly by solar power, without batteries
More information Category, Speed (km/h) ...
Land speed records by surface
Category Speed (km/h) Speed (mph) Vehicle Operator Date Certifier Refs
On ice 335.7208.6 Audi RS 6 Janne Laitinen 9 Mar 2013 FIA [19]
On the Moon 18.011.2 Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle
(LRV‑003)		 Eugene Cernan 11 Dec 1972 (unofficial) [20]
On Mars 0.180.11 Mars Exploration Rovers
Spirit and Opportunity		 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with semi‑autonomous control Jul 2004 GWR [21]
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Rail vehicles

Main article: Land speed record for rail vehicles
More information Category, Speed (km/h) ...
Rail speed records
Category Speed (km/h) Speed (mph) Vehicle Operator Date Certifier Refs
Rocket sled 10,3266,416 Super Roadrunner (uncrewed) / USAF 29 Apr 2003 [22]
Maglev rocket sled 1,019633 (unnamed) (uncrewed) / USAF 4 Mar 2016 [23]
Rocket sled (crewed) 1,017632 Sonic Wind No. 1 John Stapp / USAF 10 Dec 1954 [24]
Maglev train (crewed) 603375 SCMaglev L0 Series Central Japan Railway Company 21 Apr 2015 GWR [25]
Wheeled 574.8357.2 TGV POS V150 Eric Pieczac 3 Apr 2007 [26][27]
Propeller-driven 230140 Schienenzeppelin Franz Kruckenberg 21 Jun 1931 [28][29]
Steam-driven 202.6125.9 LNER Class A4
4468 Mallard		 Joseph Duddington and Thomas Bray 3 Jul 1938 [30][31][32]
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Aircraft

Main article: Flight airspeed record

Aircraft speed records are based on true airspeed, rather than ground speed.

More information Category, Speed (km/h) ...
Airspeed records
Category Speed (km/h) Speed (mph) Mach No.[a] Vehicle Crew Date Certifier Refs
Uncrewed aerial vehicle 21,24513,201 ~20 HTV‑2 (uncrewed) 22 Apr 2010 (unofficial) [33]
Crewed, rocket-powered 7,2704,520 6.7 North American X‑15A‑2 William J. Knight 3 Oct 1967 GWR [34][35]
Crewed, air-breathing 3,529.562,193.17 3.3 Lockheed SR‑71A Blackbird
#61‑7958		 Eldon W. Joersz 28 Jul 1976 FAI [36][37]
Commercial 2,428.51,509.0 2.35 Tupolev Tu-144 Eduard Yelyan Nov 1970 (unofficial)
Propeller-driven 927.4576.3 ~ 0.85 Piaggio P.180 Avanti Joseph J. Ritchie, Steve Fossett 6 Feb 2003 FAI [38][39]
Piston-engined 850.24528.31 0.69 Grumman F8F Bearcat (modified)
Rare Bear		 Lyle Shelton 21 Aug 1989 FAI [40][41]
Electric[b]555.9345.40.45Rolls-Royce Accel
Spirit of Innovation		Steve Jones19 Nov 2021FAI[42]
Helicopter[note 1] 400.87249.09 0.33 Westland Lynx 800
G‑LYNX		 John Egginton 11 Aug 1986 FAI [43][44]
Glider (sailplane)[c] 306.8190.6 0.25 Schempp‑Hirth Nimbus‑4DM Klaus Ohlmann (pilot), Matias Garcia Mazzaro 22 Dec 2006 FAI [45]
Airship[note 2] 115.171.5 0.09 Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik
LZ N07‑100 (DLZFN)		 Steve Fossett (pilot), Hans‑Paul Ströhle 27 Oct 2004 FAI [47][48]
Human-powered 44.3227.54 0.03 Musculair 2 Holger Rochelt 2 Oct 1985 FAI [49][50]
Ground effect vehicle See entry under § Watercraft.
Mars aircraft 3622 - Ingenuity (uncrewed) 12 Oct 2023 (unofficial) [51]
Close
  1. [a]
    Mach number depends on ambient temperature, and thus altitude, as well as speed; it is not a direct measure of speed.
  2. [b]
    Over a 3-kilometer course
  3. [c]
    Average speed over an out-and-return course of 500 km

Noted unofficial records

  1. [1]
    Unofficial helicopter speed records by the Sikorsky X2 (460 km/h on 15 September 2010) and the Eurocopter X3 (472 km/h on 7 June 2013) would surpass this record if accepted.
  2. [2]
    Greater speeds reportedly achieved by rigid airships, including 140.3 kilometres per hour (87.2 mph) by the American USS Macon (ZRS-5), are not recognized by the FAI, because these runs did not account for wind speed by flying a set course in both directions.[46]

Watercraft

Main article: Water speed record
More information Category, Speed (knots) ...
Water speed records
Category Speed
(knots)		 Speed
(km/h)		 Speed
(mph)		 Vehicle Operator Date Certifier Refs
Water speed record 275.98511.11317.59 Spirit of Australia Ken Warby 8 Oct 1978 UIM [52][53]
Propeller-driven 226.78420.00260.97 Problem Child Daryl Ehrlich 22 Nov 2009 IHBA, GWR [54][55]
Wind-powered 65.45121.2175.32 Vestas Sailrocket 2 Paul Larsen 24 Nov 2012 WSSRC [56][57]
Hovercraft[b] 74.2137.485.4 Universal UH19P
Jenny II		 Bob Windt 1 Jan 1995 WHF, GWR [58]
Human-powered 18.534.321.3 Decavitator Mark Drela 27 Oct 1991 IHPVA [59][60]
Human-powered submarine 8.03514.8819.247 Omer 5 Sebastien Brisebois,
Joel Brunet		 28 Jun 2007 ISR [61]
Ground effect vehicle[a] 350650400 Korabl Maket
"Caspian Sea Monster"		 Soviet Navy ca. 1966–1980 (unofficial) [63]
Underwater vehicle There is no officially recognized speed record for underwater craft, due to the secretive nature of military vessels. In 1968, a Soviet November-class submarine reportedly tracked an American carrier group traveling at 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph).[64] Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo[65] to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval.[66]
Close
  1. [a]
    Ground effect vehicles (a.k.a. "Wing-In-Ground effect vehicles") are classified as maritime vessels, rather than aircraft, by the International Maritime Organization.[62]
  2. [b]
    Measured over 1 km with a flying start

Spacecraft

Main article: List of spaceflight records § Speed and altitude

In order to unambiguously express the speed of a spacecraft, a frame of reference must be specified. Typically, this frame is fixed to the body with the greatest gravitational influence on the spacecraft, as this is the most relevant frame for most purposes.[67] Velocities in different frames of reference are not directly comparable; thus the matter of the "fastest spacecraft" depends on the reference frame used.

Because of the influence of gravity, maximum velocities are usually attained when a spacecraft is close to its primary body: either just after launch, at a point of closest approach (periapsis), or during the early stages of atmospheric entry.

  • Parker Solar Probe (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft relative to the Sun
    Parker Solar Probe (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft relative to the Sun
  • New Horizons (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft upon departing Earth
    New Horizons (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft upon departing Earth
  • Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown, fastest crewed vehicle relative to Earth
    Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown, fastest crewed vehicle relative to Earth
More information Frame of reference, Category ...
Space speed records
Frame of reference Category Speed relative to frame of reference Vehicle Operator Crew Date Refs[a]
km/h km/s mph
Sun Periapsis 692,000192430,000 Parker Solar Probe United States NASA (uncrewed) 24 Dec 2024 [68]
Earth Escape 58,53616.2636,370 New Horizons United States NASA (uncrewed) 19 Jan 2006 [69]
Entry 46,10012.828,600 Stardust United States NASA (uncrewed) 15 Jan 2006 [70]
Entry (crewed) 39,89711.0824,790 Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown United States NASA Thomas Stafford, John Young,
Eugene Cernan		 26 May 1969 [71]
Mars Entry 27,0007.617,000 Mars Pathfinder United States NASA (uncrewed) 4 Jul 1997 [72]
Jupiter Orbit insertion 209,00058130,000 Juno United States NASA (uncrewed) 4 Jul 2016 [73][67]
Entry 173,73648.26108,000 Galileo United States NASA (uncrewed) 21 Sep 2003 [74]
Saturn Periapsis 122,0003476,000 Cassini United States NASA (uncrewed) 27 Apr 2017 [75]
Close
  1. [a]
    Speed records in this class are generally reported by the spacecraft operator and not independently verified.

See also

References

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