and cruise are there based on their mode of path.Ballistic Missile: ... Since it depends on gravity to reach its target, it's called aballistic missile. Ballistic missiles that fly above the atmosphere have a much longer range than would be possible for cruise missiles of the same size. Ballistic missiles can travel extremely quickly along their flight path.In other words, in a military context, a rocket is an unguided, rocket-powered weapon, with no steering ability. A missile is a self-propelled weapon, often rocket-powered (but not always), that has some kind of guidance system so that it can steerin flight, towards its target.