Medium-lift launch vehicle

Category of space launch vehicle

Clockwise from top left: Falcon 9, Soyuz-2, LVM3, Nuri, H-IIA, Long March 2D

Class overview
Name| Medium-lift launch vehicle
Preceded by| Small-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded by| Heavy-lift launch vehicle
Built| Since 1958
General characteristics
Capacity|

* US definition: 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb)
* Russian definition: 5,000 to 20,000 kg (11,000 to 44,000 lb)

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.

## Rated launch vehicles

[edit]

### Operational

[edit]

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  | 319 | 2018
Soyuz-2 |  Russia | 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 | ULA | 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 | 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 |  Italy
Europe[d] | Avio |  | 2,300 to SSO  | 2  | 2022
H3 |  Japan | Mitsubishi |  | 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
Europe[e] | Ariane Group | 10,350 | 5,000 to GTO  | 1  | 2024

### Under development

[edit]

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[4]
MLV |  United States | Firefly | 14,000[5] |  | 2025
Zhuque-3 |  China | LandSpace | 11,000-20,000  |  | 2025
Irtysh |  Russia | Progress | 18,000 | 5,000 to GTO  | 2025
Hyperbola-3 |  China | i-Space | 13,400 (expendable)
8,500 (reusable)[6] |  | 2025[6]
Unified Launch Vehicle |  India | ISRO | 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[7] |  | 2026[8]

### Retired

[edit]

Vehicle  | Origin  | Manufacturer[f] | Mass to LEO (kg)  | Mass to other orbits (kg)  | Launches  | First Flight  | Last Flight

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Vostok |  Soviet Union | RSC Energia | 4,730 |  | 163 | 1958  | 1991
Saturn I |  United States | Chrysler & Douglas | 9,000 |  | 10 | 1961  | 1965
Atlas-Centaur |  United States | Lockheed | 5,100 |  | 61 | 1962  | 1983
Titan II GLV |  United States | Martin | 3,580 |  | 12 | 1964  | 1966
Titan IIIC |  United States | Martin | 13,100 | 3,000 to GTO
1,200 to TMI  | 36 | 1965  | 1982
Molniya-M |  Soviet Union
Russia | Progress | 2,400 |  | 280 | 1965  | 2010
Proton-K |  Soviet Union
Russia | Khrunichev | 19,760 |  | 311 | 1965  | 2012
Soyuz original |  Soviet Union | OKB-1 | 6,450 |  | 32 | 1966  | 1975
R-36 Tsyklon |  Soviet Union
Ukraine | Yuzhmash | 2,820–5,250[9][10] | 500–910 to GTO[11] | 236 | 1967  | 2009
Soyuz-L |  Soviet Union | OKB-1 | 5,500 |  | 3 | 1970  | 1971
Titan IIID |  United States | Martin | 12,300 |  | 22 | 1971  | 1982
Soyuz-M |  Soviet Union | OKB-1 | 6,600 |  | 8 | 1971  | 1976
Soyuz-U |  Soviet Union
Russia | Progress | 6,900 |  | 786 | 1973  | 2017
Feng Bao 1 |  China | SAST | 2,500 |  | 8 | 1973  | 1981
Long March 2A |  China | CALT | 2,000 |  | 4 | 1974  | 1976
Titan IIIE |  United States | Martin Marietta | 15,400 | 3,700 to TMI  | 7 | 1974  | 1977
Delta 3920–5920  |  United States | McDonnell Douglas | 3,452–3,848  |  | 30 | 1980  | 1990
N-II[12] |  Japan | Mitsubishi | 2,000 |  | 8 | 1981  | 1987
Soyuz-U2 |  Soviet Union | Progress | 7,050 |  | 72 | 1982  | 1995
Atlas G |  United States | Lockheed | 5,900 |  | 7 | 1984  | 1989
Long March 3 |  China | CALT | 5,000 | 1,340 to GTO  | 14 | 1984  | 2000
Zenit-2 |  Soviet Union
Ukraine | Yuzhnoye | 13,740 |  | 36 | 1985  | 2004
H-I |  Japan | Mitsubishi | 3,200 | 1,100 to GTO  | 9 | 1986  | 1992
Long March 4A |  China | SAST | 4,000 |  | 2 | 1988  | 1990
Ariane 4 |  France
Europe[g] | Aérospatiale | 7,600 | 4,800 to GTO  | 116 | 1988  | 2003
Delta II |  United States | ULA | 6,100 | 2,170 to GTO
1,000 to HCO  | 156 | 1989  | 2018
Atlas I, II, III |  United States | Lockheed | 5,900–8,686  | 2,340–4,609 to GTO  | 80 | 1990  | 2005
Long March 2E |  China | CALT | 9,200 |  | 7 | 1990  | 1995
H-II / IIS  |  Japan | Mitsubishi | 10,060 | 4,000 to GTO  | 7 | 1994  | 1999
Ariane 5 |  France
Europe[h] | Ariane Group | 16,000 | 6,950 to GTO  | 117 | 1996  | 2023
Long March 3B |  China | CALT | 11,200 | 5,100 to GTO
5,700 to SSO  | 12 | 1996  | 2012
Delta III |  United States | Boeing | 8,290 | 3,810 to GTO  | 3 | 1998  | 2000
Dnepr |  Ukraine | Yuzhmash | 4,500 | 2,300 to GTO
550 to TLI  | 22 | 1999  | 2015
Soyuz-FG |  Russia | Progress | 6,900 |  | 70 | 2001  | 2019
GSLV Mk.I |  India | ISRO | 4,000 | 2,150 to GTO  | 6 | 2001  | 2010
H-IIB |  Japan | Mitsubishi | 19,000 | 8,000 to GTO  | 9 | 2009  | 2020
Falcon 9 v1.0 |  United States | SpaceX | 10,450 | 4,540 to GTO  | 5 | 2010  | 2013
Antares 110/120/130 |  United States | Orbital | 5,100[13] | 1,500 to SSO  | 5 | 2013  | 2014
Falcon 9 v1.1 |  United States | SpaceX | 13,150 | 4,850 to GTO  | 15 | 2013  | 2016
Falcon 9 Full Thrust |  United States | SpaceX | 15,600+[14] | 7,075+[15] to GTO  | 63 | 2015  | 2018
Antares 230/230+ |  United States | Northrop Grumman | 8,000[13] | 3,000 to SSO  | 13 | 2016  | 2023

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2004, without the upper stage.
2. ^ a b A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2014, without the upper stage.
3. ^ A flight in 2021 failed to reach orbit.
4. ^ The lead manufacturer is from Italy, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Belgium, France, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.
5. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
6. ^ Some vehicles were made by multiple manufacturers during their lifespan due to mergers and acquisitions. For brevity, only the final manufacturer is shown.
7. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.
8. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.

## See also

[edit]

* 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
* Heavy-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg (44,000 and 110,000 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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017). Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
2. ^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine: "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"
3. ^ "Angara Launch Vehicle Family". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
4. ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test Campaign". www.businesswire.com. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
5. ^ "Medium Launch Vehicle". Firefly Aerospace. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
6. ^ a b Jones, Andrew (11 December 2023). "China's (reusable) rocket race heats up with new hop test". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
7. ^ "三年回望：我们为什么坚定投资星河动力" [Three-year review: Why we firmly invest in Galactic Energy]. 3sNews (in Chinese). Taibo. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
8. ^ Jones, Andrew (22 July 2023). "Galactic Energy registers sixth consecutive successful launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
9. ^ "Tsiklon-2". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016.
10. ^ "Tsiklon-4". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
11. ^ "Tsyklon-4M (Cyclone-4M) prepares a move to Canada".
12. ^ "N-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
13. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Antares (Taurus-2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
14. ^ "SpaceX and Cape Canaveral Return to Action with First Operational Starlink Mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
15. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Telstar 19V (Telstar 19 Vantage)". Gunter's Space Page. Gunter. Retrieved 7 August 2018.

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