Expendable Launch System

Short description: Launch system that uses a single use launch vehicle

A Delta IV Heavy rocket (left) and a Proton-M rocket (right)

An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are either destroyed during reentry or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of several rocket stages that are discarded sequentially as their fuel is exhausted and the vehicle gains altitude and speed. As of 2022, most satellites and human spacecraft are currently launched on ELVs. ELVs are simpler in design than reusable launch systems and therefore may have a lower production cost. Furthermore, an ELV can use its entire fuel supply to accelerate its payload, offering greater payloads. ELVs are proven technology in widespread use for many decades.^[1]

Current operators

Arianespace

China

ISRO

Comparison of Indian carrier rockets. Left to right: SLV, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV, LVM 3

During the 1960s and 1970s, India initiated its own launch vehicle program in alignment with its geopolitical and economic considerations. In the 1960s–1970s, the country India started with a sounding rocket in the 1960s and 1970s and advanced its research to deliver the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 and the more advanced Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), complete with operational supporting infrastructure by the 1990s.^[2]

JAXA

Roscosmos

United States

Main pages: Astronomy:Space Launch System and Engineering:National Security Space Launch

Several governmental agencies of the United States purchase ELV launches. NASA is a major customer with the Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Development programs, also launching scientific spacecraft. The vast majority of launch vehicles for its missions, from the Redstone missile to the Delta, Atlas, Titan and Saturn rocket families, have been expendable. As its flagship crewed exploration replacement for the partially reusable Space Shuttle, NASA's newest ELV, the Space Launch System flew successfully in November 2022 after delays of more than six years. It is planned to serve in a major role on crewed exploration programs going forward.^[3]^[4]

The United States Air Force is also an ELV customer, having designed the Titan, Atlas, and Delta families. Both the Delta IV and Atlas V from the 1994 Evolved ELV (EELV) program remain in active service, operated by the United Launch Alliance.^[5] The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) competition has selected two EELV successors, the expendable Vulcan Centaur and partially reusable Falcon 9, to provide assured access to space.^[6]

Iranian Space Agency

Main pages: Engineering:Safir (rocket) and Engineering:Simorgh (rocket)

Safir

Simorgh

Qoqnoos

Israel Space Agency

References

↑ "Expendable Launch Vehicles". http://spacetethers.com/elv.html.
↑ Gupta, S.C.; Suresh, B.N.; Sivan, K. (2007). "Evolution of Indian launch vehicle technologies". Current Science (Bangalore: Indian Academy of Sciences) 93 (12): 1697. http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_093_12_1697_1714_0.pdf. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
↑ Gebhardt, Chris; Burghardt, Thomas (2022-11-16). "SLS makes successful debut flight, sending Artemis I to the Moon" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/11/artemis-i-launch-nov/.
↑ "NASA Prepares Rocket, Spacecraft Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole, Re-targets Launch". NASA. 8 November 2022. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/11/08/nasa-prepares-rocket-spacecraft-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole-re-targets-launch/.
↑ Boeing, Lockheed Martin to Form Launch Services Joint Venture | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference
↑ Erwin, Sandra (7 August 2020). "Pentagon picks SpaceX and ULA to remain its primary launch providers". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/pentagon-picks-spacex-and-ula-to-launch-national-security-satellites-for-next-five-years/.

External links

ULA website
Arianespace website
ESA website
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries website

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[1] "Expendable Launch Vehicles". http://spacetethers.com/elv.html.

[2] Gupta, S.C.; Suresh, B.N.; Sivan, K. (2007). "Evolution of Indian launch vehicle technologies". Current Science (Bangalore: Indian Academy of Sciences) 93 (12): 1697. http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Downloads/article_id_093_12_1697_1714_0.pdf. Retrieved 17 March 2021.

[3] Gebhardt, Chris; Burghardt, Thomas (2022-11-16). "SLS makes successful debut flight, sending Artemis I to the Moon" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/11/artemis-i-launch-nov/.

[nasa-blog-20221108-4] "NASA Prepares Rocket, Spacecraft Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole, Re-targets Launch". NASA. 8 November 2022. https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2022/11/08/nasa-prepares-rocket-spacecraft-ahead-of-tropical-storm-nicole-re-targets-launch/.

[5] Boeing, Lockheed Martin to Form Launch Services Joint Venture | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

[sn20200807-6] Erwin, Sandra (7 August 2020). "Pentagon picks SpaceX and ULA to remain its primary launch providers". SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/pentagon-picks-spacex-and-ula-to-launch-national-security-satellites-for-next-five-years/.

v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara A5 Antares 230+ Ariane 5 Atlas V Delta IV Heavy Electron Epsilon Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy GSLV Mk II Mk III H-IIA H-IIB Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 Kuaizhou 1 1A Kaituozhe 2 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 6 7 11 Minotaur I IV V C OS-M1 Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Safir Shavit Simorgh Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v Unha Vega Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque-1
In development	Angara 1.2 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Firefly Alpha Beta H3 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 11 21 31 LauncherOne Long March 8 9 Miura 5 New Glenn New Line 1 Nuri OmegA OS-M2 OS-M4 Orbex Prime SLS Soyuz-7 SSLV Starship Terran 1 Vega C Vega E Vulcan Zero Zhuque-2
Retired	Antares 110/120/130/230 Ariane 1 2 3 4 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV Diamant Dnepr Energia Europa Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M Lambda 4S Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan Pilot^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna Saturn I IB V Scout SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon 2 3 4 UR (Proton) UR-500 (Proton) Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
Symbol ^† indicates projects terminated before a successful orbital launch