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.
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
Operators | Various space organizations |
Preceded by | Small-lift launch vehicle |
Succeeded by | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
Built | 1958– |
Building | 8 |
Active | 25 |
Retired | 41 |
General characteristics | |
Propulsion | Various liquid-fueled engines and solid motors |
Capacity |
|
Rated launch vehicles
Operational
Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | Mass to other orbits (kg) | Launches | First Flight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcon 9 Block 5 | United States | SpaceX | 18,500 reusable 22,800 expendable | 7,350 to GTO reusable 8,300 to GTO expendable 4,020 to Mars | 283 | 2018 |
Soyuz-2/Soyuz ST | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | 8,200 | 3,250 to GTO 4,400 to SSO | 175 | 2006[a] |
Long March 4B/4C | China | SAST | 4,200 | 1,500 to GTO 2,800 to SSO | 101 | 1999 |
Atlas V | United States | United Launch Alliance | 18,850 | 8,900 to GTO | 99 | 2002 |
Long March 2D | China | SAST | 3,500 | 1,300 to SSO | 89 | 1992 |
Zenit-3 | Ukraine | Yuzhmash | 7,000 | 6,160 to GTO | 84 | 1999 |
Long March 3B/E | China | CALT | 11,500 | 5,500 to GTO 6,900 to SSO | 82 | 2007 |
Long March 2C | China | CALT | 3,850 | 1,900 to SSO | 77 | 1982 |
PSLV | India | ISRO | 3,800 | 1,200 to GTO 1,750 to SSO | 60 | 1993 |
H-IIA | Japan | Mitsubishi | 15,000 | 6,000 to GTO | 48 | 2001 |
Long March 3A | China | CALT | 6,000 | 2,600 to GTO 5,000 to SSO | 27 | 1994 |
Long March 2F | China | CALT | 8,400 | 3,500 to GTO | 23 | 1999 |
Long March 3C | China | CALT | 9,100 | 3,800 to GTO 6,500 to SSO | 18 | 2008 |
GSLV | India | ISRO | 5,000 | 2,700 to GTO | 16 | 2010 |
Long March 7/7A | China | CALT | 13,500 | 5,500 to SSO 7,000 to GTO | 14 | 2016 |
Soyuz-2.1v | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | 2,800 | 1,400 to SSO | 9 | 2013 |
LVM3 | India | ISRO | 10,000 | 4,000 to GTO | 7 | 2017[b] |
Long March 6A | China | CALT | 4,500 to SSO | 5 | 2022 | |
Nuri | South Korea | KARI | 3,300 | 1,900 to SSO (700 km) | 3 | 2022[c] |
Zhuque-2 | China | LandSpace | 6,000 | 4,000 to SSO (500 km) | 3 | 2022 |
Long March 8 | China | CALT | 8,100 | 4,500 to SSO | 3 | 2020 |
Angara 1.2 | Russia | Khrunichev | 3,500[3] | 2 | 2022[b] | |
Vega-C | European Union | Avio | 2,200 to SSO (700 km)[4] | 2 | 2022 | |
H3 | Japan | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 7,900 to GTO 4,000 to SSO | 2 | 2023 | |
Gravity-1 | China | Orienspace | 6,500 | 4,000 to SSO | 1 | 2024 |
Ariane 6 (A62) | France | Arianespace | 10,350 | 5,000 to GTO | 2024 (Awaiting) |
Under development
Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | Mass to other orbits (kg) | Expected Flight | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tianlong-3 | China | Space Pioneer | 17,000 | 14,000 to SSO | 2024 | |
Long March 12 | China | CALT | 10,000 | 6,000 to SSO | 2024 | |
Pallas-1 | China | Galactic Energy | 5,000 | 3,000 to SSO | 2024 | |
Neutron | New Zealand United States | Rocket Lab | 13,000 | 2025[5] | ||
MLV | United States | Firefly Aerospace | 14,000[6] | 2025 | ||
Zhuque-3 | China | LandSpace | 11,000-20,000 | 2025 | ||
Irtysh | Russia | Progress Rocket Space Centre | 18,000 | 5,000 to GTO | 2025 | |
Hyperbola-3 | China | i-Space | 13,400(expendable) 8,500(reusable)[7] | NET 2025[7] | ||
Unified Launch Vehicle | India | Indian Space Research Organization | 4,500-15,000 | 1,500-6,000 to GTO | 2026 | |
Long March 10A | China | CALT | 14,000 | >2026 | ||
Pallas-2 | China | Galactic Energy | 14,000[8] | NET 2026[9] |
Retired
Gallery
- Launch of an Atlas B intercontinental ballistic missile
- Launch of the first American crewed orbital space flight Atlas and Friendship 7
- A Falcon 9 v1.0 launches with an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft, 2012
- Falcon 9 booster tank at the SpaceX factory, 2008
- Launch of GSLV Mk lll D2 with GSAT-29 from SHAR, India.
See also
- Sounding rocket, suborbital launch vehicle
- List of orbital launch systems
- Small-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit
- Heavy lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg to low Earth orbit. (Includes Ariane 5)
- Super Heavy lift launch vehicles, capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) of payload into LEO
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
- Comparison of orbital rocket engines
- Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
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.
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