This paper investigates the finite-time attitude tracking problem for rigid spacecraft. Two backstepping finite-time sliding mode control laws are proposed to solve this problem in the presence of inertia uncertainties and external disturbances. The first control scheme is developed by combining sliding mode control with a backstepping technique to achieve fast and accurate tracking responses. To obtain higher tracking precision and relax the requirement of the upper bounds on the uncertainties, a second control law is also designed by combining the second order sliding mode control and an adaptive backstepping technique.This control law provides complete compensation of uncertainty and disturbances. Although it assumes that the uncertainty and disturbances are bounded, the proposed control law does not require information about the bounds on the uncertainties and disturbances. Finite-time convergence of attitude tracking errors and the stability of the closed-loop system are ensured by the Lyapunov approach. Numerical simulations on attitude tracking control of spacecraft are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controllers. This paper investigates the finite-time attitude tracking problem for rigid spacecraft. Two backstepping finite-time sliding mode control laws are proposed to solve this problem in the presence of inertia uncertainties and external disturbances. The first control scheme is developed by combining sliding mode control With a backstepping technique to achieve fast and accurate tracking responses. To obtain higher tracking precision and relax the requirement of the upper bounds on the uncertainties, a second control law is also designed by combining the second order sliding mode control and an adaptive backstepping technique. This control law provides complete compensation of uncertainty and disturbances. The proposed control law does not require information about the bounds on the uncertainties and disturbances. Finite-time convergence of attitude tracking errors and the stability. of the closed-loop system are ensured b y the Lyapunov approach. Numerical simulations on attitude tracking control of spacecraft are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controllers.