A
rocket-powered aircraft or
rocket plane is an
aircraft that uses a
rocket engine for propulsion, sometimes in addition to
airbreathing jet engines. Rocket planes can achieve much higher speeds than similarly sized jet aircraft, but typically for at most a few minutes of powered operation, followed by a
glide. Unhindered by the need for oxygen from the atmosphere, they are suitable for very high altitude flight. They are also capable of delivering much higher acceleration and shorter takeoffs.