# List of vehicle speed records

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

* ThrustSSC, which has held the land speed record since 1997
* VeloX3, formerly the world's fastest human-powered vehicle
* Apollo 17 LRV, fastest vehicle driven on the Moon
Land speed records by type of vehicle :
| Category | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) | Vehicle | Operator | Date | Certifier |
| Land speed record | 1,227.985 | 763.035 | ThrustSSC | Andy Green | 15 Oct 1997 | FIA |
| Wheel-driven | 745.187 | 463.038 | Vesco Turbinator II | Dave Spangler | 14 Aug 2018 | SCTA |
| Piston-engine | 722.204 | 448.757 | Challenger 2 | Danny Thompson | 12 Aug 2018 | SCTA |
| Motorcycle | 605.698 | 376.363 | Ack Attack | Rocky Robinson | 25 Sep 2010 | FIM |
| Diesel-powered | 563.998 | 350.452 | JCB DieselMax | Andy Green | 23 Aug 2006 | FIA |
| Electric-powered | 550.627 | 342.144 | Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 | Roger Schroer | 19 Sep 2016 | FIA |
| Steam-powered | 238.679 | 148.308 | Inspiration | Don Wales | 25 Aug 2009 | FIA |
| Wind-powered | 225.58 | 140.17 | Horonuku | Glenn Ashby | 24 Feb 2023 | FISLY |
| Human-powered | 144.17 | 89.58 | AeroVelo Eta | Todd Reichert | 17 Sep 2016 | IHPVA |
| Solar-powered | 91.332 | 56.751 | Sky Ace TIGA | Kenjiro Shinozuka | 20 Aug 2014 | GWR |
| Tracked vehicle | 121.9 | 75.7 | modified M113 APC | Carl May | Jul/Aug 1979 | US Army |
| Radio-controlled car (rocket-powered) | 338.14 | 210.11 | Black Knight | Anthony Lovering | 4 May 2016 | GWR |
| Radio-controlled car (battery-powered) | 325.12 | 202.02 | RC Bullet | Nic Case | 25 Oct 2014 | GWR |
* ↑ Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 mile (1.6 km) course, with flying start
* ↑ Average over 1 mile (1.6 km), with a flying start
* ↑ Average over two subsequent runs with four hours to work on the vehicle in impound
* ↑ Average over 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), with a flying start
* 1 2 3 Average over two subsequent runs in opposite directions over a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) course, with flying start
* ↑ Average over 50 metres (160 ft)
* ↑ Unpaced on a straight surface -0.6% grade; average over 200 metres (660 ft), with flying start (For other cycling records, see cycling records)
* ↑ For vehicles powered directly by solar power, without batteries
Land speed records by surface :
| Category | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) | Vehicle | Operator | Date | Certifier |
| On ice | 335.7 | 208.6 | Audi RS 6 | Janne Laitinen | 9 Mar 2013 | FIA |
| On the Moon | 18.0 | 11.2 | Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV‑003) | Eugene Cernan | 11 Dec 1972 | (unofficial) |
| On Mars | 0.18 | 0.11 | Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity | Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with semi‑autonomous control | Jul 2004 | GWR |

## Rail vehicles

* Lt. Col. John P. Stapp rides the rocket sled at Edwards Air Force Base
* The V150, the world's fastest wheeled train, on its record-breaking run
* Schienenzeppelin propeller-driven rail car
* Mallard, the world's fastest steam train
Rail speed records :
| Category | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) | Vehicle | Operator | Date | Certifier |
| Rocket sled | 10,326 | 6,416 | Super Roadrunner | (uncrewed) / USAF | 29 Apr 2003 | |
| Maglev rocket sled | 1,019 | 633 | (unnamed) | (uncrewed) / USAF | 4 Mar 2016 | |
| Rocket sled (crewed) | 1,017 | 632 | Sonic Wind No. 1 | John Stapp / USAF | 10 Dec 1954 | |
| Maglev train (crewed) | 603 | 375 | SCMaglev L0 Series | Central Japan Railway Company | 21 Apr 2015 | GWR |
| Wheeled | 574.8 | 357.2 | TGV POS V150 | Eric Pieczac | 3 Apr 2007 | |
| Propeller-driven | 230 | 140 | Schienenzeppelin | Franz Kruckenberg | 21 Jun 1931 | |
| Steam-driven | 202.6 | 125.9 | LNER Class A4 4468 Mallard | Joseph Duddington and Thomas Bray | 3 Jul 1938 | |

## Aircraft

Aircraft speed records are based on true airspeed, rather than ground speed.
* HTV-2 (artist rendering), the fastest uncrewed aerial vehicle
* North American X-15, the fastest piloted rocket-powered aircraft
* SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest piloted air-breathing aircraft
* Rare Bear, the fastest piston-engined aircraft
* Musculair 2, the fastest human-powered aircraft
Airspeed records :
| Category | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) | Mach No. | Vehicle | Crew | Date | Certifier | Refs |
| Uncrewed aerial vehicle | 21,245 | 13,201 | ~20 | HTV‑2 | (uncrewed) | 22 Apr 2010 | (unofficial) | |
| Crewed, rocket-powered | 7,270 | 4,520 | 6.7 | North American X‑15A‑2 | William J. Knight | 3 Oct 1967 | GWR | |
| Crewed, air-breathing | 3,529.56 | 2,193.17 | 3.3 | Lockheed SR‑71A Blackbird #61‑7958 | Eldon W. Joersz | 28 Jul 1976 | FAI | |
| Propeller-driven | 927.4 | 576.3 | ~ 0.85 | Piaggio P.180 Avanti | Joseph J. Ritchie, Steve Fossett | 6 Feb 2003 | FAI | |
| Piston-engined | 850.24 | 528.31 | 0.69 | Grumman F8F Bearcat (modified) Rare Bear | Lyle Shelton | 21 Aug 1989 | FAI | |
| Electric | 555.9 | 345.4 | 0.45 | Rolls-Royce Accel Spirit of Innovation | Steve Jones | 19 Nov 2021 | FAI | |
| Helicopter | 400.87 | 249.09 | 0.33 | Westland Lynx 800 G‑LYNX | John Egginton | 11 Aug 1986 | FAI | |
| Glider (sailplane) | 306.8 | 190.6 | 0.25 | Schempp‑Hirth Nimbus‑4DM | Klaus Ohlmann (pilot), Matias Garcia Mazzaro | 22 Dec 2006 | FAI | |
| Airship | 115.1 | 71.5 | 0.09 | Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik LZ N07‑100 (DLZFN) | Steve Fossett (pilot), Hans‑Paul Ströhle | 27 Oct 2004 | FAI | |
| Human-powered | 44.32 | 27.54 | 0.03 | Musculair 2 | Holger Rochelt | 2 Oct 1985 | FAI | |
| Ground effect vehicle | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. | See entry under § Watercraft. |
* ↑ Mach number depends on ambient temperature, and thus altitude, as well as speed; it is not a direct measure of speed.
* ↑ Over a 3-kilometer course
* ↑ Average speed over an out-and-return course of 500 km

### Noted unofficial records

* ↑ 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.
* ↑ 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.

## Watercraft

* Model of Spirit of Australia, which holds the water speed record
* Vestas Sailrocket, the fastest wind-powered watercraft
* Decavitator, the fastest human-powered watercraft
* Omer 5, the fastest human-powered submarine
* The "Caspian Sea Monster", the fastest ground-effect vehicle
Water speed records :
| Category | Speed (knots) | Speed (km/h) | Speed (mph) | Vehicle | Operator | Date | Certifier | Refs |
| Water speed record | 275.98 | 511.11 | 317.59 | Spirit of Australia | Ken Warby | 8 Oct 1978 | UIM | |
| Propeller-driven | 226.78 | 420.00 | 260.97 | Problem Child | Daryl Ehrlich | 22 Nov 2009 | IHBA, GWR | |
| Wind-powered | 65.45 | 121.21 | 75.32 | Vestas Sailrocket 2 | Paul Larsen | 24 Nov 2012 | WSSRC | |
| Hovercraft | 74.2 | 137.4 | 85.4 | Universal UH19P Jenny II | Bob Windt | 1 Jan 1995 | WHF, GWR | |
| Human-powered | 18.5 | 34.3 | 21.3 | Decavitator | Mark Drela | 27 Oct 1991 | IHPVA | |
| Human-powered submarine | 8.035 | 14.881 | 9.247 | Omer 5 | Sebastien Brisebois, Joel Brunet | 28 Jun 2007 | ISR | |
| Ground effect vehicle | 350 | 650 | 400 | Korabl Maket "Caspian Sea Monster" | Soviet Navy | ca. 1966–1980 | (unofficial) | |
| 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. | 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). Uncrewed torpedo speed claims range from 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph) for the British Spearfish torpedo to 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) for the Russian VA-111 Shkval. |
* 1 2 Ground effect vehicles (a.k.a. "Wing-In-Ground effect vehicles") are classified as maritime vessels, rather than aircraft, by the International Maritime Organization.
* ↑ Measured over 1 km with a flying start

## Spacecraft

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. 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
* New Horizons (artist rendering), fastest spacecraft relative to Earth
* Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown, fastest crewed vehicle relative to Earth
Space speed records :
| Frame of reference | Category | Speed relative to frame of reference | Speed relative to frame of reference | Speed relative to frame of reference | Vehicle | Operator | Crew | Date | Refs |
| Frame of reference | Category | km/h | km/s | mph | Vehicle | Operator | Crew | Date | Refs |
| Sun | Periapsis | 692,000 | 192 | 430,000 | Parker Solar Probe | NASA | (uncrewed) | 24 Dec 2024 | |
| Earth | Escape | 58,536 | 16.26 | 36,370 | New Horizons | NASA | (uncrewed) | 19 Jan 2006 | |
| Earth | Entry | 46,100 | 12.8 | 28,600 | Stardust | NASA | (uncrewed) | 15 Jan 2006 | |
| Earth | Entry (crewed) | 39,897 | 11.08 | 24,790 | Apollo 10 CSM Charlie Brown | NASA | Thomas Stafford, John Young, Eugene Cernan | 26 May 1969 | |
| Mars | Entry | 27,000 | 7.6 | 17,000 | Mars Pathfinder | NASA | (uncrewed) | 4 Jul 1997 | |
| Jupiter | Orbit insertion | 209,000 | 58 | 130,000 | Juno | NASA | (uncrewed) | 4 Jul 2016 | |
| Jupiter | Entry | 173,736 | 48.26 | 108,000 | Galileo | NASA | (uncrewed) | 21 Sep 2003 | |
| Saturn | Periapsis | 122,000 | 34 | 76,000 | Cassini | NASA | (uncrewed) | 27 Apr 2017 | |
* ↑ Speed records in this class are generally reported by the spacecraft operator and not independently verified.