The first workable liquid-fueled rocket was created by American scientist Robert H. Goddard in the early 20th century. Goddard is often called the "father of modern rocketry" because of his pioneering work in developing liquid-fueled rocket engines and his contributions to the understanding of rocket propulsion.

In 1926, Goddard successfully launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket at his test site in Auburn, Massachusetts. The rocket, called the "Nell," used gasoline and liquid oxygen as propellants and reached a height of 41 feet (12.5 meters) and a speed of 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour).

Goddard's work paved the way for the development of modern rocket technology, which has been used for space exploration, military applications, and many other purposes. His contributions to rocketry were recognized during his lifetime, and he is now widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of space exploration.

The first rocket to reach space was the Soviet Union's R-7 Semyorka, which was launched on October 4, 1957, and carried the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1. The R-7 Semyorka was designed by the Soviet engineer Sergei Korolev and was the first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the United States.

The R-7 Semyorka was a two-stage rocket that used a combination of liquid and solid fuels. The first stage was powered by four liquid-fueled engines, while the second stage used a single engine fueled by a combination of liquid oxygen and kerosene.

Sputnik 1, which weighed just 184 pounds (83.6 kilograms), was launched into orbit around the Earth and transmitted a series of beeps that could be heard by radio operators around the world. The launch of Sputnik 1 marked the beginning of the Space Age and sparked a space race between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted throughout the 1960s.

It is difficult to give an exact number of rockets that have been launched to date, as the number is constantly changing due to ongoing launches and advancements in rocket technology. However, according to data from the Union of Concerned Scientists, as of September 2021, there have been more than 10,000 orbital launches in the history of spaceflight, using various types of rockets.

The vast majority of these launches have been conducted by the United States and Russia, although other countries such as China, Japan, India, and Europe have also launched rockets into space. These rockets have been used for a variety of purposes, including scientific research, military applications, telecommunications, and commercial activities such as satellite launches and space tourism.

As rocket technology continues to advance, we can expect to see more rockets launched in the coming years for a wide range of applications.

The biggest maker of rockets today is currently United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. ULA has a long history of developing and manufacturing rockets for various missions, including national security missions for the United States government, as well as commercial launches.

However, SpaceX is also a significant player in the rocket industry and has been making significant strides in recent years, particularly with its reusable rockets and its Starship spacecraft, which it hopes to use to make humanity a multi-planetary species. Other notable companies include Blue Origin, founded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Arianespace, a European launch provider.

It's worth noting that the rocket industry is constantly evolving and changing, and the biggest maker of rockets can shift over time as new players enter the market, technologies advance, and new missions and applications emerge.

Today is Thursday, April 20, 2023: the historic test flight for Elon Musk's $3billion (£2.4billion) Starship program is now over, after a dramatic explosion during its ascent.

Following the eagerly anticipated lift-off from Boca Chica in Texas, engineers claimed the Starship launch was 'amazing' despite its 'rapid unscheduled disassembly' - a fancy term for an explosion.

The super heavy-lift system launched at around 9:30am ET (2.29pm BST), with 33 engines pushing the more than five-million-pound structure into the skies.

But after just three minutes, the rocket blew up as its two halves could not separate as planned. The massive stainless steel vehicle apparently encountered an issue separating from its Super Heavy rocket booster a few minutes into its flight. After tumbling through the air, the huge rocket exploded in what SpaceX calls a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" just under four minutes after launch.