Category of space launch vehicle
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)
Amedium-lift launch vehicle (MLV ) is arocket launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) byNASA classification or between 5,000 to 20,000 kilograms (11,000 to 44,000 lb) by Russian classification[ 1] payload intolow Earth orbit (LEO).[ 2] small-lift launch vehicle and aheavy-lift launch vehicle . Medium-lift vehicles comprise the majority of orbital launches as of 2024[update] Soyuz andFalcon 9 having launched several hundred times.
Atlas-Centaur launchingSurveyor 1 in 1966Soviet Union and Russia [ edit ] The SovietR-7 family was based on the world's firstintercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).Sputnik was asmall-lift derivative that carried the first satellite into orbit, and the R-7 design quickly grew in capacity, withLuna launching in 1958. The 1960s saw the R-7 series continue to develop, withVostok 1 carrying the first human into space,Voskhod carrying multiple crew members, and the firstSoyuz . As of 2025[update] [ 3]
The first US medium-lift vehicle was a purpose-built orbital launch vehicle, theSaturn I . Saturn I first launched in 1961, and the Saturn family would eventually grow into the heavy-liftSaturn IB and the super-heavy liftSaturn V .[ 4]
ICBM-derived launch vehicles for the US include theAtlas ,Titan , andDelta families.Atlas-Centaur launched in 1962 and marked the first use of aCentaur upper stage. As of 2025[update] Atlas V is still operational; Centaur has seen extensive use on multiple vehicles and is operational on the Atlas V andVulcan vehicles.Titan II GLV carried theGemini spacecraft . The family was further developed intoTitan III which utilizedsolid rocket boosters (SRBs), and in 1989, the heavy-liftTitan IV .Medium-lift versions of the Delta family include Delta II which utilized up to nine SRBs, and theDelta IV which could use optional SRBs or three first-stage cores as aheavy variant.
SpaceX introduced theFalcon 9 in 2010, designed to be a partiallyreusable launch vehicle . Falcon 9 underwent iterative upgrades and completed the first propulsive landing of an orbital rocket stage in 2015.[ 5] [ 6] Soyuz-U .[ 7] [ 8]
China'sLong March family and the EuropeanAriane family were introduced in the 1970s. Japan launched theH-I in 1986 before developing theH-II andH3 . India introduced thePSLV in 1993 andLVM3 in 2014. South Korea'sNuri reached orbit in 2022.
Rated launch vehicles [ edit ] Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO (kg) Mass toother orbits (kg) Launches First Flight Falcon 9 Block 5 [ a] United States SpaceX 18,500 (reusable)7,350 to GTO (reusable)512 2018 Soyuz-2 Russia Progress 8,200 3,250 to GTO175 2006[ b] Long March 4B /4C China SAST 4,200 1,500 to GTO101 1999 Atlas V United States ULA 18,850 8,900 to GTO99 2002 Long March 2D China SAST 3,500 1,300 to SSO89 1992 Zenit-3 Ukraine Yuzhmash 7,000 6,160 to GTO84 1999 Long March 3B/E China CALT 11,500 5,500 to GTO82 2007 Long March 2C China CALT 3,850 1,900 to SSO77 1982 PSLV India ISRO 3,800 1,200 to GTO1,750 to SSO60 1993 Long March 3A China CALT 6,000 2,600 to GTO27 1994 Long March 2F China CALT 8,400 3,500 to GTO23 1999 Long March 3C China CALT 9,100 3,800 to GTO18 2008 GSLV India ISRO 5,000 2,700 to GTO16 2010 Long March 7 /7AChina CALT 13,500 5,500 to SSO7,000 to GTO14 2016 LVM3 India ISRO 10,000 4,000 to GTO7 2017[ c] Nuri South Korea KARI 3,300 1,900 to SSO (700 km)3 2022[ d] Zhuque-2 China LandSpace 6,000 4,000 to SSO (500 km)3 2022 Long March 8 China CALT 8,100 4,500 to SSO3 2020 Angara 1.2 Russia Khrunichev 3,500 [ 9] 2 2022[ c] Vega C Italy Europe [ e] Avio 2,300 to SSO5 2022 H3 Japan Mitsubishi 7,900 to GTO4,000 to SSO2 2023 Vulcan Centaur [ f] United States ULA 10,800 (VC0)[ g] [ 10] 19,000 (VC2)[ h] 3,500 to GTO (VC0)8,400 to GTO (VC2)2 2024 Gravity-1 China Orienspace 6,500 4,000 to SSO1 2024 Long March 6C China CALT 4,500 2,400 to SSO1 2024 Ariane 6 (A62)France Europe [ i] Ariane Group 10,350 5,000 to GTO3 2024 Long March 12 China CALT 10,000 6,000 to SSO1 2024[ 11]
Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO (kg) Mass toother orbits (kg) Expected Flight Pallas-1 China Galactic Energy 5,000 3,000 toSSO 2024[needs update Tianlong-3 China Space Pioneer 17,000 14,000 to SSO2025 Neutron New Zealand United States Rocket Lab 13,000 2025[ 12] MLV United States Firefly 14,000 [ 13] 2025 Zhuque-3 China LandSpace 11,000 -20,0002025 Irtysh Russia Progress 18,000 5,000 to GTO2025 Hyperbola-3 China i-Space 13,400 (expendable)8,500 (reusable)[ 14] 2025[ 14] Nova United States Stoke Space 7,000 (expendable) 3,000 (re-usable)[ 15]
2,500 to GTO 1,250 to TLI
2025 [ 16] Unified Launch Vehicle India ISRO 4,500 -15,0001,500 -6,000 to GTO2026 Long March 10A China CALT 14,000 2026 Pallas-2 China Galactic Energy 14,000 [ 17] 2026[ 18] Antares 330 United States Northrop Grumman Firefly 10,800 [ 19] 2025 KSLV-III South Korea Hanwha Aerospace 10,000 7,000 to SSO 2030[ 20] Miura 5 Spain PLD Space 1100 600 SSO 2025
Vehicle Origin Manufacturer[ j] Mass toLEO (kg) Mass toother 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 GTO36 1965 1982 Molniya-M Soviet Union Russia Progress 2,400 280 1965 2010 Proton-K [ 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[ 22] [ 23] 500 –910 to GTO[ 24] 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 TMI7 1974 1977 Delta 3920–5920United States McDonnell Douglas 3,452 –3,84830 1980 1990 N-II [ 25] 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 GTO14 1984 2000 Zenit-2 Soviet Union Ukraine Yuzhnoye 13,740 36 1985 2004 H-I Japan Mitsubishi 3,200 1,100 to GTO9 1986 1992 Long March 4A China SAST 4,000 2 1988 1990 Ariane 4 France Europe [ l] Aérospatiale 7,600 4,800 to GTO116 1988 2003 Delta II United States ULA 6,100 2,170 to GTO156 1989 2018 Atlas I ,II ,III United States Lockheed 5,900 –8,6862,340 –4,609 to GTO80 1990 2005 Long March 2E China CALT 9,200 7 1990 1995 H-II / IISJapan Mitsubishi 10,060 4,000 to GTO7 1994 1999 Ariane 5 France Europe [ m] Ariane Group 16,000 6,950 to GTO117 1996 2023 Long March 3B China CALT 11,200 5,100 to GTO12 1996 2012 Delta III United States Boeing 8,290 3,810 to GTO3 1998 2000 Dnepr Ukraine Yuzhmash 4,500 2,300 to GTO22 1999 2015 Soyuz-FG Russia Progress 6,900 70 2001 2019 Soyuz-2.1v Russia Progress 2,800 1,400 to SSO13 2013 2025 H-IIA Japan Mitsubishi 15,000 6,000 to GTO50 2001 2025 GSLV Mk.I India ISRO 4,000 2,150 to GTO6 2001 2010 H-IIB Japan Mitsubishi 19,000 8,000 to GTO9 2009 2020 Falcon 9 v1.0 United States SpaceX 10,450 4,540 to GTO5 2010 2013 Antares 110/120/130 United States Orbital 5,100 [ 26] 1,500 to SSO5 2013 2014 Falcon 9 v1.1 United States SpaceX 13,150 4,850 to GTO15 2013 2016 Falcon 9 Full Thrust Blocks 3 and 4 [ n] United States SpaceX 15,600 +[ 27] 7,075 +[ 28] 36 2015 2018 Antares 230/230+ United States Northrop Grumman 8,000 [ 26] 3,000 to SSO13 2016 2023
^ When launched with an expendable first stage, Falcon 9 Block 5 has the capacity of aheavy-lift launch vehicle ^ A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2004, without the upper stage. ^a b A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2014, without the upper stage. ^ A flight in 2021 failed to reach orbit. ^ The lead manufacturer is fromItaly , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based inBelgium ,France ,Netherlands ,Spain ,Switzerland andUkraine . ^ Vulcan is often considered aheavy-lift launch vehicle and is capable of carrying over 20,000 kg to LEO when using four or sixsolid rocket boosters ^ zero solid rocket boosters ^ two solid rocket boosters ^ The lead manufacturer is fromFrance , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based inGermany ,Italy ,Spain ,Belgium ,Austria ,Switzerland andSweden . ^ Some vehicles were made by multiple manufacturers during their lifespan due to mergers and acquisitions. For brevity, only the final manufacturer is shown. ^ Proton is usually considered to be aheavy-lift launch vehicle [ 21] ^ The lead manufacturer is fromFrance , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe. ^ The lead manufacturer is fromFrance , but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe. ^ When launched with an expendable first stage, Falcon 9 Full Thrust has the capacity of aheavy-lift launch vehicle 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 vehicleSmall-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) to low Earth orbitHeavy-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg (44,000 and 110,000 lb) to low Earth orbitSuper heavy-lift launch vehicle , capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) to Low Earth orbit^ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017).Great Russian Encyclopedia the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved9 June 2021 . ^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 Archived 24 March 2016 at theWayback Machine : "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"^ Siddiqi, Asif."Soviet/Russian Launch Vehicles" .U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission . Retrieved21 December 2024 . ^ Kirk, Benny (1 September 2022)."NASA's Saturn IB Rocket Doesn't Get Enough Love, Let's Change That" .autoevolution . Retrieved15 January 2025 . ^ Chang, Kenneth (21 December 2015)."Spacex Successfully Lands Rocket after Launch of Satellites into Orbit" .The New York Times . Retrieved22 December 2015 . ^ Berger, Eric (20 September 2023)."SpaceX breaks another booster reuse record, but did anyone see it?" .Ars Technica . Retrieved21 December 2024 . ^ "Most launches in a single year (single rocket model)" .Guinness World Records . Retrieved21 December 2024 .^ Romera, Alejandro (3 January 2025)."SpaceX achieves record-breaking 2024, looks ahead to 2025" .NASASpaceFlight . Retrieved4 January 2025 . ^ "Angara Launch Vehicle Family" .Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center . Retrieved2 September 2018 .^ "Vulcan" .ULA . Retrieved27 December 2024 .^ Jones, Andrew (30 November 2024)."China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country's lunar plans" .Space News . Retrieved1 January 2025 . ^ "Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test Campaign" .www.businesswire.com . 6 May 2024. Retrieved7 May 2024 .^ "Medium Launch Vehicle" .Firefly Aerospace . Retrieved11 March 2023 .^a b Jones, Andrew (11 December 2023)."China's (reusable) rocket race heats up with new hop test" .SpaceNews . Retrieved1 April 2024 . ^ "Nova" .Stoke Space / 100% reusable rockets / USA . Retrieved7 June 2025 .^ Bek, Nate (5 October 2023)."Stoke Space fuels up with $100M in funding in quest to build fully reusable rockets" .GeekWire . Retrieved7 June 2025 . ^ "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. Retrieved4 March 2021 .^ Jones, Andrew (22 July 2023)."Galactic Energy registers sixth consecutive successful launch" .SpaceNews . Retrieved17 September 2023 . ^ "CRS NG-23" .nextspaceflight . Retrieved21 December 2024 .^ "韓 달 착륙 위한 '차세대 발사체' 본격 착수" .Newsis ^ "Proton" .NASA . Retrieved20 December 2024 .^ "Tsiklon-2" . Archived fromthe original on 27 December 2016.^ "Tsiklon-4" .Encyclopedia Astronautica . Archived fromthe original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved8 August 2016 .^ "Tsyklon-4M (Cyclone-4M) prepares a move to Canada" .^ "N-2" . Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived fromthe original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved12 June 2013 .^a b Krebs, Gunter."Antares (Taurus-2)" .Gunter's Space Page . Retrieved22 September 2018 . ^ Burghardt, Thomas (11 November 2019)."SpaceX and Cape Canaveral Return to Action with First Operational Starlink Mission" .NASASpaceFlight.com . Retrieved11 November 2019 . ^ Krebs, Gunter."Telstar 19V (Telstar 19 Vantage)" .Gunter's Space Page . Gunter. Retrieved7 August 2018 .
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