Rocket able to lift 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit
Class overview Name Small-lift launch vehicle Preceded by Sounding rocket Succeeded by Medium-lift launch vehicle Built Since 1957 General characteristics Capacity US definition : <2,000 kg (4,400 lb)Russian definition : <5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
Asmall-lift launch vehicle is arocket orbitallaunch vehicle that is capable of lifting 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) or less (byNASA classification) or under 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) (byRoscosmos classification)[ 1] low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category ismedium-lift launch vehicles .[ 2]
The first small-lift launch vehicle was theSputnik rocket, launched by the Soviet Union, which was derived from theR-7 Semyorka ICBM . On 4 October 1957, the Sputnik rocket was used to perform the world's firstsatellite launch, placing theSputnik 1 satellite into alow Earth orbit .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] Vanguard rocket.[ 6] [ 7] Vanguard TV3 launch attempt failed, with the 31 January 1958 launch of theExplorer 1 satellite using theJuno I rocket being the first successful US orbital launch. TheVanguard I mission was the second successful US orbital launch. This was the start of thespace race .[ 8] [ 9]
Since the late 1950s, small-lift launch vehicles have continued launching payloads into orbits including LEO,Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), andgeostationary transfer orbit (GTO).Medium-lift launch vehicles ,heavy-lift launch vehicles , andsuper heavy-lift launch vehicles have also been extensively developed but have not completely superseded small launch vehicles. Small launch vehicles can meet the requirements of some spacecraft, and can be less expensive than a larger launch vehicle would be.[ 10]
Rated launch vehicles [ edit ] Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO Mass toother orbits Launches First flight Qased Iran IRGCASF 10−50 3 2020 Qaem 100 Iran IRGC 80 [ 11] 3(+1) 2023 SK solid fueled TV2 Republic of Korea MND >100 1 2023 Shavit 2 Israel IAE 160 [ 12] 12 1988 Unha North Korea KCST 200 [ 13] 4 2009 OS-M [ a] China OneSpace 205 [ 14] 73 to SSO1 2019 KAIROS Japan Space One 250 150 to SSO1 2024 Electron New Zealand United States Rocket Lab 300 [ 15] 200 to SSO[ 15] 62 2017 Jielong 1 China CALT 200 to SSO1 [ 16] 2019 Hyperbola-1 China i-Space 300 [ 17] 6 2020 Chollima-1 North Korea NADA ≥300 [ 18] 3 2023 Simorgh Iran Iranian Space Agency 350 [ 19] 6 (+1)2016 Ceres-1 China Galactic Energy 350 [ 20] 11 2020 Kuaizhou-1 China CASC 400 [ 21] 250 to SSO 28 [ b] 2013[ 21] SSLV India ISRO /NSIL 500 300 to SSO2 2022 Start-1 Russia MITT 532 [ 22] 350 toSSO [ 23] 5 [ 24] 1993 Minotaur I United States Northrop Grumman 580 [ 25] 12 [ 26] 2000 Long March 6 China CALT 500 to SSO11 2015 Long March 11 China CALT 700 [ 27] 17 2015[ 28] Alpha United States Firefly 1,000 [ 29] 600 to SSO5 2021 Epsilon Japan IHI [ 30] 1,200 [ 31] 5 2013 RS1 United States ABL 1,350 [ 32] 400 to GTO 1 2023 Strela Russia Khrunichev 1,400 [ 33] 3 [ 34] 2003 Minotaur-C United States Northrop Grumman 1,450 [ 35] 1,050 [ 35] 10 [ 36] 1994 Kuaizhou-11 China CASC 1,500 1,000 to SSO 2 SK solid fueled LV Republic of Korea MND 1,500 1(+2) 2023[ 37] Minotaur IV United States Northrop Grumman 1,735 [ 38] 7 [ 39] 2010[ 40] Kinetica 1 China CAS Space 2,000 1,500 to SSO3 2022 Tianlong-2 China Space Pioneer 2,000 [ 41] 1,500 to SSO1 2023 Jielong 3 China CALT 1,500 to SSO3 [ 42] 2022 Tundra Canada NordSpace 500 250 to SSO 1 2025
This section needs to beupdated . Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2025 )
Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO Mass toother orbits Launches First flight Last flight SS-520 Japan IHI 4 2 2017 2018 Vanguard United States Martin 9 [ 59] 1957 1959 Juno I [ 60] United States Chrysler 11 6 1958 1959 Veloce 17 United States Eldorado Space [ 61] 12 0 Lambda 4S Japan Nissan [ 62] 26 [ 31] 5 1966 1977[ 63] SLV India ISRO 40 [ 64] 4 1979 1983 Juno II [ 65] United States Chrysler 41 10 1958 1961 Boeing Small Launch Vehicle [ 66] United States Boeing 45 [ 67] 0 Rocket 3 United States Astra 45 [ 68] 7 (+2)2020 2022 Safir Iran Iranian Space Agency 50 [ 69] 8 2008 2019 Vector-R United States Vector 60 [ 70] Diamant France SEREB 107 [ 71] [ 72] 12 1965 1975 Vector-H United States Vector 110 [ 73] 0 Capricornio [ 74] Spain INTA 140 0 ASLV India ISRO 150 4 1987 1994 Scout United States US Air Force /NASA 174 [ 75] 125 1961 1994 Mu-4S Japan Nissan [ 62] 180 [ 31] 4 1971 1972 Mu-3C Japan Nissan [ 62] 195 [ 31] 4 1974 1979 Shtil' Russia Makeyev 280 – 420[ 76] 2 [ 77] 1998 2006 Mu-3H Japan Nissan [ 62] 300 [ 31] 3 1977 1978 Mu-3S Japan Nissan [ 62] 300 [ 31] 4 1980 1984 Long March 1 China CALT 300 [ 78] 2 [ 79] 1970[ 79] 1971[ 79] Zhuque-1 China LandSpace 300 [ 80] 200 to SSO1 2018 2018 Delta 1913 United States McDonnell Douglas 328 [ 81] 1 [ 82] 1973 1973 Delta 2310 United States McDonnell Douglas 336 [ 83] 3 [ 82] 1974 1981 Delta 1410 United States McDonnell Douglas 340 [ 84] 1 [ 82] 1975 1975 VLS-1 Brazil AEB ,INPE 380 [ 85] 2 [ note 1] 1997 1999 Delta 1604 United States McDonnell Douglas 390 [ 86] 2 [ 82] 1972 1973 Falcon 1 United States SpaceX 420 [ 87] 5 2006 2009 Pegasus United States Orbital 443 [ 88] 45 [ 89] 1990 2021 Conestoga United States Space Services Inc. 500 [ 90] 3 1982 1995 Sputnik 8K71PSSoviet Union RSC Energia 500 [ 91] 2 1957 1957 Launcher One United States Virgin Orbit 500 [ 92] 300 toSSO 6 2020 Paektusan North Korea KCST 700 [ 93] 1 1998 Long March 1D (CZ-1D)China CALT 740 [ 94] 1995[ note 2] 2002 Mu-3SII Japan Nissan [ 62] 770 [ 31] 8 1985 1995 Athena I United States Lockheed Martin 795 [ 95] 515 to GTO4 [ 96] 1995 2001 Delta 3913 United States McDonnell Douglas 816 [ 97] 1 [ 82] 1981 1981 J-I Japan IHI ,Nissan [ 62] 1,000 [ 98] 1996 1996 Delta 1910 United States McDonnell Douglas 1,066 [ 99] 1 [ 82] 1975 1975 N-I Japan United States Mitsubishi 1,200 [ 100] 7 1975 1982 Terran 1 United States Relativity Space 1,250 1 2023 2023 Delta 0900 United States McDonnell Douglas 1,300 [ 101] 818 to SSO[ 82] 2 [ 82] 1972 1972 Sputnik 8A91Soviet Union RSC Energia 1,327 2 1958 1958 Atlas LV-3B [ 102] United States Convair 1,360 9 1960 1963 H-I Japan United States Mitsubishi 1,400 [ 103] 9 1986 1992 Kosmos-3M Soviet Union Russia NPO Polyot 1,500 [ 104] 442 [ 105] 1967 2010 M-V Japan IHI ,Nissan [ 30] [ 62] 1,800 [ 31] 7 1997 2006 Athena II United States Lockheed Martin 1,800 [ 106] 3 [ 107] 1998 1999 Delta 1900 United States McDonnell Douglas 1,800 [ 82] 1 [ 82] 1973 1973 Delta 2910 United States McDonnell Douglas 1,887 [ 82] 6 [ 82] 1975 1978 Rokot Soviet Union Russia Khrunichev 1,950 [ 108] 1,200 to SSO34 1990 2019 Vega Italy Europe [ c] Avio 1,450 to SSO22 2012 2024
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