From the moment our ancestors first learned to run, humanity has been locked in a relentless pursuit of one thing: more speed. It’s a primal drive that has shaped our history, pushing us to innovate, explore, and shatter boundaries that once seemed impossible. This obsession isn’t just about getting from A to B faster, though, it is driven by the need for progress. It’s in the race to communicate ideas across the globe in an instant, to process information at mind-boggling rates, and to propel ourselves beyond the confines of our own atmosphere. We’ve gone from the speed of a horse to breaking the sound barrier and beyond. This list is a celebration of the ingenuity behind the fastest things on earth. A look at the most incredible, record-shattering, and downright astonishingly fast things our species has ever managed to create. Get ready to explore the pinnacle of human velocity.
#1 Space Shuttles – 17,500mph (28,163km/H)
Image source: NASA
#2 Parker Solar Probe – 394,736mph (635,266km/H)
Image source: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben
#3 Voyager 1 – 38,610mph (62,136km/H)
Image source: NASA
#4 Nasa X-43 – 7,000 Mph (11,265 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#5 Galileo Spacecraft – 108,000 Mph (173,809 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#6 Japan’s Shinkansen Bullet Trains – 200mph (320km/H)
Image source: The Basingstoker
#7 Formula 1 Car – 230mph (370km/H)
Image source: Holapaco77
#8 Concorde – 1,354mph (2,179km/H)
Image source: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
#9 Saturn V Rockets – 6,164mph (9,920km/H)
Image source: NASA
#10 Stardust – 28,856 Mph (46,444 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#11 Helios Spacecraft – 157,078 Mph (252,793 Km/H)
#12 X-15a2 2 – 4,520 Mph (7,273 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#13 Lockheed Sr-71 Blackbird – 2,193 Mph (3,530 Km/H)
Image source: USAF / Judson Brohmer
#14 Juno Orbiter – 165 000 Mph (265,541 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#15 An Iron Manhole Cover – In Specific Cases 125,000 Mph (201,167 Km/H)
Image source: Andrey Volk
#16 A 747 Jumbo Jet – 660mph (1,060km/H)
Image source: Airwolfhound
#17 Mig-25 Jet Fighter – 2,190mph (3,525km/H)
Image source: Leonid Faerberg (transport-photo.com)
#18 Apollo 10 Capsule – 24,791 Mph (39,887 Km/H)
Image source: Cristiano Betta
#19 Thrustssc Car – 763 Mph (1,228 Km/H)
Image source: Vauxford
#20 Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut – 330 Mph (531 Km/H)
Image source: Calreyn88
#21 New Horizons – 36,373 Mph (58,539 Km/H)
Image source: NASA
#22 Felix Baumgartne Free Fall – 844 Mph (1,358 Km/H)
Image source: Ank kumar
