Launch vehicle capable of lifting between 20,000 to 50,000 kg into low Earth orbit
A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb) (by NASA classification) or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms (44,000 to 220,000 lb) (by Russian classification)[ 1] into low Earth orbit (LEO).[ 2] As of 2024[update] , operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M .[ 3]
In addition, the Angara A5 , the Falcon 9 Block 5 , the Falcon Heavy , the Vulcan Centaur , Ariane 6 , and New Glenn are designed to provide heavy-lift capabilities in at least some configurations but have not yet been proven to carry a 20-tonne payload into LEO. Several other heavy-lift rockets are in development. An HLV is between medium-lift launch vehicles and super heavy-lift launch vehicles .
Rated launch vehicles [ edit ]
Vehicle
Origin
Manufacturer
Mass to LEO (kg)
Heaviest launch (kg)
Launches
First flight
...to LEO or MEO
...to GTO or GSO
...to HEO and beyond
Long March 5/5B
China
CALT
25,000 [ 4]
23,200 [ 5]
14,000 [ 6]
8,350 to Moon [ 7]
12
2016
Proton-M
Russia
Khrunichev
23,000 [ 8]
23,200 [ 9]
6,740 [ 10]
3,755 to Mars [ 11]
115
2001
Angara A5
Russia
Khrunichev KBKhA
24,500 [ 12] [ a]
—
2,400 [ 13]
—
4
2014
Falcon 9 [ b]
United States
SpaceX
22,800 [ 14] [ c]
17,400
7,076 [ 16]
1,108 to HCO
18[ d]
2015 (Falcon 9 FT )[ e]
Falcon Heavy [ f]
United States
SpaceX
38,000 +[ 17] [ g]
3,700
6,465 [ 18] [ h]
5,900 to Jupiter [ 19] [ i]
11[ j]
2018
Vulcan Centaur
United States
ULA
25,000 [ 20]
—
—
1,283 to Moon [ 21]
2
2024
Vehicle
Origin
Manufacturer
Mass to LEO (kg)
Expected flight
New Glenn [ 22]
United States
Blue Origin
45,000 [ 23]
2024[ 24]
Ariane 6 (A64)
France Europe [ k]
ArianeGroup
21,650 [ 25]
2025
HLV
India
ISRO
20,000
TBD
SHLV
India
ISRO
41,300 [ 26]
TBD
Zhuque-3
China
LandSpace
21,000 [ 27]
2025
Gravity-2
China
Orienspace
25,600 [ 28]
2025
Terran R
United States
Relativity Space
33,500
2026[ 29]
Angara-A5V
Russia
Khrunichev , Polyot
38,000
2027
H3 Heavy
Japan
Mitsubishi
28,300 [ 30]
2030
Vehicle
Origin
Manufacturer
Mass to LEO (kg)
Heaviest launch (kg)
Launches
First flight
Last Flight
...to LEO or MEO
...to GTO or GSO
...to HEO and beyond
Saturn IB
United States
Chrysler & Douglas
21,000
20,847
—
—
9
1966
1975
Proton-K
Soviet Union Russia
Khrunichev
19,760 [ 31]
22,776
4,723
6,220
4[ 32] [ l]
1967
2012
Space Shuttle
United States
USA
24,400 [ m] [ 33]
22,753
—
—
135
1981
2011
Titan IV
United States
Lockheed Martin
21,680 [ 34]
Classified[ n] [ o]
Classified[ n]
5,712 to Saturn [ p]
39
1989
2005
Ariane 5 ECA/ES
France Europe [ q]
Ariane Group
21,000 [ 36]
20,293 [ 37]
11,210 [ 38]
6,161.4 to Sun-Earth L2 [ 39]
92
2002
2023
Delta IV Heavy
United States
ULA
28,790 [ 40]
21,000 [ 41] [ r]
Classified[ n]
685 to heliocentric orbit
16
2004
2024
^ from Vostochny cosmodrome
^ Only when the first stage is expended. In reusable configuration, Falcon 9 is classified as a medium-lift launch vehicle
^ in expendable configuration
^ 18 expendable launches for Full Thrust and Block 5 versions, meeting the capacity requirement of a heavy-lift vehicle
^ The first Falcon 9 v1.0 launched in 2010; however, versions prior to Falcon 9 Full Thrust were not capable of lifting payloads over 20,000kg
^ When all cores are recovered. When the center core is expended, Falcon Heavy is classified as a super heavy-lift launch vehicle with a theoretical payload to LEO over 50,000 kg
^ Depending on booster recovery configuration
^ to 90,000-km supersynchronous GTO
^ Falcon Heavy launched Europa Clipper to heliocentric orbit in expendable configuration. Europa Clipper will utilize gravity assists to reach Jovian orbit.
^ 8 of these launches were in at least partially expendable configurations, rating the vehicle as super heavy for those launches
^ The lead manufacturer is from France , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Germany , Italy , Spain , Belgium , Austria , Switzerland and Sweden .
^ Proton K launched 310 times, with 4 launches over 20,000 kg
^ excluding orbiter weight
^ a b c Actual payloads flown are classified under the NRO launch program .
^ KH-11 launches had 19,600 kg[ 35]
^ Cassini-Huygens was launched to heliocentric orbit and used gravity assists to reach Saturn.
^ The lead manufacturer is from France , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.
^ The officially reported mass of 21,000 kg includes the Launch Abort System (LAS) which did not reach orbit, but excludes the residual mass of the upper stage, which did reach orbit, likely offsetting the mass of the LAS.
Comparison of orbital launch systems
Comparison of orbital rocket engines
Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
List of orbital launch systems
Sounding rocket , suborbital launch vehicle
Small-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) to low Earth orbit
Medium-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting between 2,000 and 20,000 kg (4,400 and 44,100 lb) to low Earth orbit
Super heavy-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) to Low Earth orbit
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