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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
| Preceded by | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
| Succeeded by | Super heavy-lift launch vehicle |
| Built | Since 1966 |
| General characteristics | |
| Capacity | 20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb) |
Aheavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbitallaunch vehicle capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb) (byNASA classification) or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms (44,000 to 220,000 lb) (by Russian classification)[1] intolow Earth orbit (LEO).[2] Heavy-lift launch vehicles often carry payloads into higher-energy orbits, such asgeosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) orheliocentric orbit (HCO).[3] An HLV is between amedium-lift launch vehicle and asuper heavy-lift launch vehicle.
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The first heavy-lift launch vehicles in the 1960s included the USSaturn IB and the SovietProton. Saturn IB was designed to carry theApollo spacecraft into orbit and had increased engine thrust and a redesigned second stage fromits predecessor. Proton was originally designed to be a largeintercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).[4] Russia still operates variants of the Proton as of 2024[update], although it is expected to be phased out in favor of theAngara A5.
NASA introduced theSpace Shuttle as the first partiallyreusable launch vehicle in 1981. The Space Shuttle carried up to eight crew members in addition to deploying heavy payloads to LEO, including space station modules andDepartment of Defense payloads. Higher-energy orbits for payloads were reached through the use of akick stage such as theInertial Upper Stage.
TheUnited States Air Force (USAF) operated theTitan IV to supplement Space Shuttle launches. This was derived from theTitan family of ICBMs and launch vehicles, with upgrades including solid rocket boosters (SRBs), vehicle lengthening, and an optional third stage.[5] The USAF began theEvolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program in 1994 to ensure access to space through contracted launch providers. This led to the development of theDelta IV, with theheavy variant using threefirst stage cores.United Launch Alliance (ULA) introducedVulcan Centaur in 2024 as the successor to its Delta IV andAtlas V rockets, with Vulcan featuring a single, wider core and optional SRBs.
China'sLong March 5 was introduced in 2016 as the most powerful version of theLong March family. It is notable as a Chinese launch vehicle using non-hypergolic liquid propellants.[6]
The EuropeanAriane 5 first flew in 1996 and launched many commercial payloads to GTO. It benefited in this role by launching fromGuiana Space Center, a spaceport near the equator in French territory. Ariane 5 often carried multiple payloads per launch and setrecords for mass to GTO delivered for commercial payloads.
Falcon 9 was introduced bySpaceX in 2010, designed as amedium-lift launch vehicle with a reusable first stage.[a] Falcon 9 grew more capable through iterative design, with upgrades including improvedMerlin engines and the lengthening of both stages. Since the introduction ofFalcon 9 Full Thrust in 2015, the vehicle meets the capacity requirements of a heavy-lift vehicle when the first stage is expended. In 2021, Falcon 9 carried a record of 143 satellites into orbit on a single launch.[7]Falcon Heavy uses three first stage boosters similarly to Delta IV Heavy, but requires a strengthened center core. Falcon Heavy made its first flight in 2017 and was most capable operational launch vehicle until NASA'sSLS launched in 2022.[8] Falcon Heavy is categorized as a heavy-lift launch vehicle when flown in configuration to recover the center core and both side boosters. When expending the center core or all boosters, its payload to LEO exceeds 50,000 kg, qualifying Falcon Heavy as asuper heavy-lift launch vehicle.
| Rocket | Configuration | Organization | Nationality | Liftoff thrust | Mass toLEO | Maiden successful flight | Heaviest known launch | Status | Reusable | Launches (success / total) | Cost per launch (adjusted for inflation) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ...toLEO orMEO | ...toGTO orGSO | ...toHEO and beyond | |||||||||||
| Saturn IB | NASA |  United States | 7,100 kN (1,600,000 lbf) | 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) | 1966 | 20,847 kg (45,960 lb) | — | — | Retired (1975) | No | 9 / 9 | US$413 million[9] | |
| Proton | K | Khrunichev |  Soviet Union Russia | 10,470 kN (2,350,000 lbf) | 19,760 kg (43,560 lb)[10][b] | 1967 | 22,776 kg (50,212 lb) | 4,723 kg (10,412 lb) | 6,220 kg (13,710 lb) | Retired (2017) | No | 275 / 310 | US$65 million[12] |
| M | Russia | 10,532 kN (2,368,000 lbf) | 23,000 kg (51,000 lb)[13] | 2001 | 20,350 kg (44,860 lb) | 6,740 kg (14,860 lb) | 3,755 kg (8,278 lb) | Operational | No | 104 / 115 | US$65 million[12] | ||
| Space Shuttle | USA | United States | 28,750 kN (6,460,000 lbf) | 27,500 kg (60,600 lb)[c][14] | 1981 | 22,753 kg (50,162 lb) | Classified[d][e] | 3,455 kg (7,617 lb) | Retired (2011) | Partial | 133 / 135 | US$601 million[15] | |
| Titan IV | Lockheed Martin | 15,120 kN (3,400,000 lbf) | 21,380 kg (47,130 lb)[16] | 1989 | ≥ 19,600 kg (43,200 lb)[d][f] | Classified[d] | 5,712 kg (12,593 lb) | Retired (2005) | No | 35 / 39 | US$432 million | ||
| Ariane 5 | ECA/ES | Ariane Group |  Europe | 15,175 kN (3,411,000 lbf) | 21,000 kg (46,000 lb)[18] | 1998 | 20,293 kg (44,738 lb)[19] | 11,210 kg (24,710 lb)[20] | 6,161.4 kg (13,584 lb)[21] | Retired (2023) | No | 90 / 92 | US$200 million[22] |
| Delta IV Heavy | ULA | United States | 9,420 kN (2,120,000 lbf) | 28,790 kg (63,470 lb)[23] | 2007 | 21,000 kg (46,000 lb)[24] | Classified[d] | 685 kg (1,510 lb) | Retired (2024) | No | 15 / 16 | US$350 million[25] | |
| Angara A5 | Angara-A5 | Khrunichev,KBKhA | Russia | 9,600 kN (2,200,000 lbf) | 24,500 kg (54,000 lb)[26] | 2014 | — | 2,400 kg (5,300 lb)[27] | — | Operational | No | 4 / 5 | US$100 million (2021)[28] |
| Angara-A5V | Khrunichev,Polyot | 38,000 kg (84,000 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | No | — | ? | |||
| Falcon 9 FT | Expended | SpaceX | United States | 7,600 kN (1,700,000 lbf) | 22,800 kg (50,300 lb) | 2017 | 17,400 kg (38,400 lb)[29] | 7,076 kg (15,600 lb)[30] | 1,108 kg (2,443 lb) | Operational | No | 30 / 30 | US$69.7 million |
| Long March 5/5B | CALT |  China | 10,636 kN (2,391,000 lbf) | 25,000 kg (55,000 lb)[31] | 2016 | 23,200 kg (51,100 lb)[32] | 14,000 kg (31,000 lb)[33] | 8,350 kg (18,410 lb)[34] | Operational | No | 14 / 15 | US$160 million[35][36] | |
| Falcon Heavy | Recoverable boosters and first stage | SpaceX | United States | 22,800 kN (5,100,000 lbf) | >38,000 kg (84,000 lb)[37] | 2018 | 3,700 kg (8,200 lb) | 6,465 kg (14,253 lb)[38] | ~1,250 kg (2,760 lb) | Operational | Partial | 3 / 3 | US$95 million[39] |
| Vulcan Centaur | VC4 | ULA | 13,137 kN (2,953,000 lbf) | 21,400 kg (47,200 lb) | 2025 | — | 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) | — | Operational | Planned (partial) | 1 / 1 | US$110 million[40] | |
| VC6 | 17,259 kN (3,880,000 lbf) | 27,200 kg (60,000 lb)[41] | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ||||
| New Glenn | Blue Origin | 17,100 kN (3,800,000 lbf) | 45,000 kg (99,000 lb)[42] | 2025 | Unknown | — | — | Operational | Partial | 2 / 2 | US$68-110 million[43][44] | ||
| Ariane 6 | A64 | Ariane Group | Europe | 15,370 kN (3,460,000 lbf) | 21,650 kg (47,730 lb)[45] | 2024 | 4,040 kg (8,910 lb)[46] | — | — | Operational | Planned (partial) | 4 / 4 | US$133 million[47] |
| Gravity-2 | LandSpace | China | ? | 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ? | |
| Zhuque-3 | Orienspace | ? | 25,600 kg (56,400 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ? | ||
| Terran R | Relativity Space | United States | 15,480 kN (3,480,000 lbf) | 33,500 kg (73,900 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ? | |
| NGLV | NGLV | ISRO |  India | ? | 23,000 kg (51,000 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ? |
| NGLV-H | ? | 31,700 kg (69,900 lb) | — | — | — | — | Under development | Planned (partial) | — | ? | |||
| Miura Next Heavy | Expendable Recoverable (sea base landing)Recoverable (base landing) | PLD Space | Spain | 5,551 kN | 39,000 kg 31,000 kg23,000 kg | Under development | Planned (partial) | ||||||
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.Delta IV Heavy goes for about US$350M. That's current and future, after the retirement of both Delta IV Medium and Delta II.