Quick answer: It usually takes a few minutes for a rocket to reach the edge of space, defined by the Kármán line at about 100 km up. For many modern rockets, that’s roughly 3–4 minutes , while getting to a stable orbit or the ISS takes longer.

What “space” means

“Space” is commonly treated as starting at the Kármán line , about 100 km (62 miles) above sea level. A rocket can cross that altitude in just a few minutes, but reaching orbit is a different step and takes more time.

Typical timelines

Destination| Typical time
---|---
Edge of space / Kármán line| 3–4 minutes 13
Low Earth orbit| about 8–15 minutes total, depending on vehicle and mission profile 15
International Space Station| about 4 hours to 3 days, depending on the spacecraft and rendezvous plan 35

Simple version

If you mean “how long until a rocket gets to space?” the short answer is a few minutes. If you mean “how long until astronauts arrive somewhere in space like the ISS?” it can be hours to days.

TL;DR: Edge of space: minutes. Orbit: around 8–15 minutes. ISS: hours to days.