Medium-lift launch vehicle

(Redirected from Medium lift launch vehicle)

A medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is a rocket launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) by NASA classification or between 5,000 to 20,000 kilograms (11,000 to 44,000 lb) by Russian classification[1] of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).[2] An MLV is between small-lift launch vehicles and heavy-lift launch vehicles.

Clockwise from top-left: Falcon 9, Soyuz-2, PSLV, Nuri, H-IIA, Long March 2D
Class overview
NameMedium-lift launch vehicle
OperatorsVarious space organizations
Preceded bySmall-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded byHeavy-lift launch vehicle
Built1958–
Building8
Active25
Retired41
General characteristics
PropulsionVarious liquid-fueled engines and solid motors
Capacity
  • 2–20 metric tons (NASA)
  • 5–20 metric tons (Russia)

Rated launch vehicles

Operational

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to
LEO (kg)
Mass to
other orbits (kg)
LaunchesFirst Flight
Falcon 9 Block 5  United StatesSpaceX18,500 reusable
22,800 expendable
7,350 to GTO reusable
8,300 to GTO expendable
4,020 to Mars
2832018
Soyuz-2/Soyuz ST  RussiaTsSKB-Progress8,2003,250 to GTO
4,400 to SSO
1752006[a]
Long March 4B/4C  ChinaSAST4,2001,500 to GTO
2,800 to SSO
1011999
Atlas V  United StatesUnited Launch Alliance18,8508,900 to GTO992002
Long March 2D  ChinaSAST3,5001,300 to SSO891992
Zenit-3  UkraineYuzhmash7,0006,160 to GTO841999
Long March 3B/E  ChinaCALT11,5005,500 to GTO
6,900 to SSO
822007
Long March 2C  ChinaCALT3,8501,900 to SSO771982
PSLV  IndiaISRO3,8001,200 to GTO
1,750 to SSO
601993
H-IIA  JapanMitsubishi15,0006,000 to GTO482001
Long March 3A  ChinaCALT6,0002,600 to GTO
5,000 to SSO
271994
Long March 2F  ChinaCALT8,4003,500 to GTO231999
Long March 3C  ChinaCALT9,1003,800 to GTO
6,500 to SSO
182008
GSLV  IndiaISRO5,0002,700 to GTO162010
Long March 7/7A  ChinaCALT13,5005,500 to SSO
7,000 to GTO
142016
Soyuz-2.1v  RussiaTsSKB-Progress2,8001,400 to SSO92013
LVM3  IndiaISRO10,0004,000 to GTO72017[b]
Long March 6A  ChinaCALT4,500 to SSO52022
Nuri  South KoreaKARI3,3001,900 to SSO (700 km)32022[c]
Zhuque-2  ChinaLandSpace6,0004,000 to SSO (500 km)32022
Long March 8  ChinaCALT8,1004,500 to SSO32020
Angara 1.2  RussiaKhrunichev3,500[3]22022[b]
Vega-C  European UnionAvio2,200 to SSO (700 km)[4]22022
H3  JapanMitsubishi Heavy Industries7,900 to GTO
4,000 to SSO
22023
Gravity-1  ChinaOrienspace6,5004,000 to SSO12024
Ariane 6 (A62)  FranceArianespace10,3505,000 to GTO2024 (Awaiting)

Under development

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to
LEO (kg)
Mass to
other orbits (kg)
Expected Flight
Tianlong-3  ChinaSpace Pioneer17,00014,000 to SSO2024
Long March 12  ChinaCALT10,0006,000 to SSO2024
Pallas-1  ChinaGalactic Energy5,0003,000 to SSO2024
Neutron  New Zealand
 United States
Rocket Lab13,0002025[5]
MLV  United StatesFirefly Aerospace14,000[6]2025
Zhuque-3  ChinaLandSpace11,000-20,0002025
Irtysh  RussiaProgress Rocket Space Centre18,0005,000 to GTO2025
Hyperbola-3  Chinai-Space13,400(expendable)

8,500(reusable)[7]

NET 2025[7]
Unified Launch Vehicle  IndiaIndian Space Research Organization4,500-15,0001,500-6,000 to GTO2026
Long March 10A  ChinaCALT14,000>2026
Pallas-2  ChinaGalactic Energy14,000[8]NET 2026[9]

Retired

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to
LEO (kg)
Mass to
other orbits (kg)
LaunchesFirst FlightLast Flight
Vostok  Soviet UnionRSC Energia4,73016319581991
Saturn I  United StatesChrysler & Douglas9,0001019611965

long

Atlas-Centaur  United StatesLockheed5,1006119621983
Titan II GLV  United StatesMartin3,5801219641966
Titan IIIC  United StatesMartin13,1003,000 to GTO
1,200 to TMI
3619651982
Molniya-M  Soviet Union
 Russia
TsSKB-Progress2,40028019652010
Proton-K  Soviet Union
 Russia
Khrunichev19,76031119652012
Soyuz original  Soviet UnionOKB-16,4503219661975
R-36 Tsyklon  Soviet Union
 Ukraine
Yuzhmash2,820-5,250 (depends on variant)[10][11]500-910 to GTO[12]23619672009
Soyuz-L  Soviet UnionOKB-15,500319701971
Titan IIID  United StatesMartin12,3002219711982
Soyuz-M  Soviet UnionOKB-16,600819711976
Soyuz-U  Soviet Union
 Russia
TsSKB-Progress6,90078619732017
Feng Bao 1  ChinaShanghai Bureau No.22,500819731981
Long March 2A  ChinaCALT2,000419741976
Titan IIIE  United StatesMartin Marietta15,4003,700 to TMI719741977
Delta 3920–5920  United StatesDouglas3,452–3,8483019801990
N-II[13]  JapanMitsubishi2,000819811987
Soyuz-U2  Soviet UnionTsSKB-Progress7,0507219821995
Atlas G  United StatesLockheed5,900719841989
Long March 3  ChinaCALT5,0001,340 to GTO1419842000
Zenit-2  Soviet Union
 Ukraine
Yuzhnoye13,7403619852004
H-I  JapanMitsubishi3,2001,100 to GTO919861992
Long March 4A  ChinaSAST4,000219881990
Ariane 4  FranceAérospatiale7,6004,800 to GTO11619882003
Delta II  United StatesUnited Launch Alliance6,1002,170 to GTO
1,000 to HCO
15619892018
Atlas I, II, III  United StatesLockheed5,900–8,6862,340–4,609 to GTO8019902005
Long March 2E  ChinaCALT9,200719901995
H-II / IIS  JapanMitsubishi10,0604,000 to GTO719941999
Ariane 5  FranceArianespace16,0006,950 to GTO11719962023
Long March 3B  ChinaCALT11,2005,100 to GTO
5,700 to SSO
1219962012
Delta III  United StatesBoeing8,2903,810 to GTO319982000
Dnepr  UkraineYuzhmash4,5002,300 to GTO
550 to TLI
2219992015
Soyuz-FG  RussiaTsSKB-Progress6,9007020012019
GSLV Mk.I  IndiaISRO4,0002,150 to GTO620012010
H-IIB  JapanMitsubishi Heavy Industries19,0008,000 to GTO920092020
Falcon 9 v1.0  United StatesSpaceX10,4504,540 to GTO520102013
Antares 110–130  United StatesOrbital Sciences5,100[14]1,500 to SSO520132014
Falcon 9 v1.1  United StatesSpaceX13,1504,850 to GTO1520132016
Falcon 9 Full Thrust

(before Block 5)

 United StatesSpaceX15,600+[15]7,075+[16] to GTO6320152018
Antares 230  United StatesNorthrop Grumman8,000[14]3,000 to SSO1320162023

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

  • Mallove, Eugene F. and Matloff, Gregory L. The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel, Wiley. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.