Comparison of orbital launch systems
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or in development as of 2023; a second list includes all upcoming rockets and a third list includes all retired rockets For the simple list of all conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems, see: Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems.
Spacecraft propulsion[note 1] is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. Orbital launch systems are rockets and other systems capable of placing payloads into or beyond Earth orbit. All launch vehicle propulsion systems employed to date have been chemical rockets falling into one of three main categories:
- Solid-propellant rockets or solid-fuel rockets have a motor that uses solid propellants, typically a mix of powdered fuel and oxidizer held together by a polymer binder and molded into the shape of a hollow cylinder. The cylinder is ignited from the inside and burns radially outward, with the resulting expanding gases and aerosols escaping out via the nozzle.[note 2]
- Liquid-propellant rockets have a motor that feeds liquid propellant(s) into a combustion chamber. Most liquid engines use a bipropellant, consisting of two liquid propellants (fuel and oxidizer) which are stored and handled separately before being mixed and burned inside the combustion chamber.
- Hybrid-propellant rockets use a combination of solid and liquid propellant, typically involving a liquid oxidizer being pumped through a hollow cylinder of solid fuel.
All current spacecraft use conventional chemical rockets (solid-fuel or liquid bipropellant) for launch, though some[note 3] have used air-breathing engines on their first stage.[note 4]
Current rockets
Orbits legend:
- LEO, low Earth orbit
- SSO or SSPO, near-polar Sun-synchronous orbit
- polar, polar orbit
- MEO, medium Earth orbit
- GTO, geostationary transfer orbit
- GEO, geostationary orbit (direct injection)
- HEO, high Earth orbit
- HCO, heliocentric orbit
- TLI, trans-lunar injection
- TMI, trans-Mars injection
- LMO Low Mars Orbit
Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Height | Maximum payload mass (kg) |
Reuse | Orbital launches incl. failures[lower-alpha 1] |
Launch site(s) | Dates of flight | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEO | GTO | Other | First | Latest | |||||||
Firefly Alpha | United States | Firefly Aerospace | 29 m | 1,000[1] | 630 to SSO | No | 3 | 2021 | 2023 | ||
Angara A5 | Russia | Khrunichev | 55.4 m | 24,500 | 5,400 with Briz-M[2] 7,500 with KVTK |
No | 3[3] | 2014 | 2021 | ||
Angara 1.2 | Russia | Khrunichev | 42.7 m | 3,500[2] | 2,400 to SSO | No | 2[4] | 2022 | 2022 | ||
Atlas V 551 | United States | ULA | 58.3 m | 18,500[5] | 8,700 | 13,550 to SSO 3,960 to GEO |
No | 13[5] | 2006 | 2021 | |
Atlas V N22[lower-alpha 2] | United States | ULA | 52.4 m | 13,000 | No | 2 | 2019[7] | 2022 | |||
Ceres-1 (3)[lower-alpha 3] | China | Galactic Energy | 20 m | 400[9] | 300 to SSO[9] | No | 7 | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Ceres-1S[lower-alpha 4] | China | Galactic Energy | 20 m | ~ 400 | No | 1 |
|
2023 | 2023 | ||
Chollima-1 | North Korea | NADA | 26.2 m | > 300[10] | No | 2 | 2023 | 2023 | |||
Delta IV Heavy | United States | ULA | 72 m | 28,790[11] | 14,220 | 23,560 to polar 11,290 to TLI 8,000 to TMI |
No | 15[12] | 2004 | 2023 | |
Electron | United States New Zealand |
Rocket Lab | 18 m | 300[13] | 200 to SSO[13] | Yes | 40[14] | 2017 | 2023 | ||
Epsilon | Japan | IHI[15] | 24.4 m | 1,500[16] | 590 to SSO | No | 6[17] | 2013 | 2022 | ||
Falcon 9 Block 5 | United States | SpaceX | 70 m | 17,400-22,800 | 5,500-8,300 | Yes | 210 | 2018 | 2023 | ||
Falcon Heavy[18] | United States | SpaceX | 70 m | 30,000[19]–63,800 | 8,000[20]–26,700 | 16,800 to TMI[21] | Yes | 8[22][23] | 2018 | 2023 | |
GSLV Mk II | India | ISRO | 49.1 m | 5,000[24] | 2,700[25][lower-alpha 5] | No | 9[26] | 2010 | 2023 | ||
H-IIA 202 | Japan | Mitsubishi | 53 m | 8,000[27]: 67 | 4,000[27]: 48 | 5,100 to SSO[lower-alpha 6] [27]: 64–65 |
No | 32[28] | 2001 | 2023 | |
H3-22S | Japan | Mitsubishi | 57 m | [29] | 3,500 | No | 1 | 2023 | 2023 | ||
Hyperbola-1 (2)[lower-alpha 7] | China | i-Space | 22.5 m | 300[31] | No | 4 | 2021 | 2023 | |||
Jielong 1[32] | China | CALT | 19.5 m | N/A | 200 to SSO | No | 1[32] | 2019 | 2019 | ||
Jielong 3 | China | CALT | 31 m | N/A | 1,500 (500 km SSO) | No | 1[33] |
|
2022 | 2022 | |
Kinetica 1 | China | CAS Space | 30 m | 2,000[34] | 1,500[35] TO 500 km SSO | No | 2[36] | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Kuaizhou 1A | China | ExPace | 19.8 m | 200 | 250 to SSO | No | 24 | 2013[lower-alpha 8] | 2023 | ||
Kuaizhou 11 | China | ExPace | 25.3 m | 1,500[38] | 1,000 to SSO[39] | No | 2 | 2020 | 2022 | ||
Long March 2C | China | CALT | 42 m | 3,850 |
1,250 with CTS2 | 2,000 to SSO with YZ-1S[40] | No | 71[41] | 1982 | 2023 | |
Long March 2D | China | SAST | 41.1 m | 4,000 | 1,150 to SSO | No | 83[41] | 1992 | 2023 | ||
Long March 2F | China | CALT | 62 m | 8,600 | No | 21[41] | 1999 | 2023 | |||
Long March 3A | China | CALT | 52.5 m | 6,000[42] | 2,600 | 5,000 to SSO | No | 27[43] | 1994 | 2018 | |
Long March 3B/E | China | CALT | 56.3 m | 11,500[42] | 5,500 | 6,900 to SSO | No | 79[43] | 2007 | 2023 | |
Long March 3C | China | CALT | 54.8 m | 9,100[42] | 3,800 | 6,500 to SSO | No | 18[43] | 2008 | 2021 | |
Long March 4B | China | SAST | 44.1 m | 4,200[44] | 1,500 | 2,800 to SSO | No | 48[44] | 1999 | 2023 | |
Long March 4C | China | SAST | 45.8 m | 4,200[45] | 1,500 | 2,800 to SSO | No | 53[44] | 2006 | 2023 | |
Long March 5 | China | CALT | 56.9 m | 25,000 | 14,000 [46] | 15,000 to SSO[47] 9,400 to TLI[46] 6,000 to TMI[46] |
No | 5[47] | 2016 | 2020 | |
Long March 5B | China | CALT | 56.9 m | 25,000[47] | No | 4[47] | 2020[48] | 2022 | |||
Long March 6 | China | SAST | 29 m | 1,500[49] | 1,080 to SSO[50] | No | 11[51] | 2015 | 2023 | ||
Long March 6A | China | SAST | 50 m | Unknown | 4,000 to SSO[52] | No | 3[51] | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Long March 7 | China | CALT | 53.1 m | 13,500[53] | 5,500 to SSO | No | 7[54] | 2016[55] | 2023 | ||
Long March 7A | China | CALT | 60.13 m | N/A | 5,500 to 7,000[48] | No | 5[54] | 2020 | 2023 | ||
Long March 8 | China | CALT | 50.34 m | 8,400 | 2,800 | 5,000 to SSO | No | 2[56] | 2020 | 2022 | |
Long March 11 | China | CALT | 20.8 m | 700[57] | 350 to SSO | No | 16[58] | 2015 | 2023 | ||
LVM 3 | India | ISRO | 43.4 m | 10,000[59] | 4,000 | 2,380 to TLI | No | 6[60] | 2017[lower-alpha 9] | 2023 | |
Minotaur-C (Taurus-3210)[62] | United States | Northrop Grumman | 27.9 m | 1,458[63] | 1,054 to SSO[lower-alpha 10] | No | 2 | 2004 | 2017 | ||
Minotaur I | United States | Northrop Grumman | 19.2 m | 580[64] | No | 12[65] | 2000 | 2021 | |||
Minotaur IV | United States | Northrop Grumman | 23.9 m | 1,735[66] | No | 5[67][lower-alpha 11] | 2010 | 2020 | |||
Minotaur V | United States | Northrop Grumman | 24.6 m | N/A | 670[67] | 465 to HCO | No | 1[67] | 2013 | 2013 | |
Nuri (KSLV-II) | South Korea | KARI | 47.2 m | 3,300[68] | 1,900 to SSO[69][70][68] | No | 3[70] | 2021 | 2023 | ||
Pegasus XL | United States | Northrop Grumman | 16.9 m | 544 | No | 35 | 1994 | 2021 | |||
Proton-M | Russia | Khrunichev | 58.2 m | 23,000[71][72] | 6,150 (M) 6,920 (M+) |
No | 115[73][74][75] | 2001 | 2023 | ||
PSLV-CA | India | ISRO | 44.4 m | 2,100[76] | 1,100 to SSO | No | 17[76] | 2007 | 2023 | ||
PSLV-DL | India | ISRO | 44.4 m | N/A | 750 to polar | No | 1[76] | 2019 | 2021 | ||
PSLV-QL | India | ISRO | 44.4 m | No | 2[76] | 2019 | 2019 | ||||
PSLV-XL | India | ISRO | 44.4 m | 3,800[76] | 1,300 | 1,750 to SSO 550 to TMI[77] |
No | 25[76] | 2008 | 2023 | |
Qaem 100 | Iran | IRGC | 15.5 m | 80[78] | No | 1[lower-alpha 12] | 2023 | 2023 | |||
Qased | Iran | IRGC | 18.8 m | 40[79] | No | 3 | 2020 | 2023 | |||
RS1 | United States | ABL Space Systems | 27 m | 1,350[80] | 400 | 1,000 to SSO 750 to MEO |
No | 1 | 2023[81] | 2023 | |
Shavit-2 | Israel | IAI | 22.1 m | 400 in Retrograde | No | 6 | 2007 | 2023 | |||
Simorgh | Iran | Iranian Space Agency | 26 m | 350[82] | No | 2[82][lower-alpha 13] | 2017 | 2021 | |||
Soyuz-2.1a | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | 46.3 m | 7,020 from Baikonur[83] | No | 62[84][85][86] | 2006[lower-alpha 14] | 2023 | |||
Soyuz-2.1b | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | 46.3 m | 8,200 from Baikonur[83] | 2,400[87] | No | 65[85][88] | 2006 | 2023 | ||
Soyuz-2-1v | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | 44 m | 2,800[89] | 1,400 to SSO | No | 10[89] | 2013 | 2023 | ||
Starship[90] | United States | SpaceX | 121 m | 150,000[91]-250,000 | Yes | 1 | 2023 | 2023 | |||
SLS Block 1 | United States | NASA / Boeing Northrop Grumman |
98 m | 95,000[92] | 27,000+ to TLI[93] | No | 1 | 2022[94] | 2022 | ||
SSLV | India | ISRO | 34 m | 500[95] | 300 to SSO | No | 2[96] | 2022 | 2023 | ||
Tianlong-2 | China | Space Pioneer | 32.8 m | 2,000[97] | 1,500 to SSO | No | 1 | 2023 | 2023 | ||
Vega | Europe | ESA / ASI | 31 m | 2,300[98] | 1,330 to SSO[99] 1,500 to polar[100] | No | 21[101] | 2012 | 2023 | ||
Vega-C | Europe | ESA / ASI | 36.2 m | 3,300[102] | 2,200 to SSO[102] | No | 2[103] | 2022 | 2022 | ||
Zhuque-2 | China | LandSpace | 49.5 m | 6,000[104] | 4,000 to SSO | No | 2 | 2022[105] | 2023 |
- Suborbital flight tests and on-pad explosions are excluded, but launches failing en route to orbit are included.
- for Starliner[6]
- Despite not being officially acknowledged by the manufacturer, significant changes between different iterations of the rocket lead to the identification of different variants.[8]
- Sea-launched version of the third unofficial iteration of the Ceres-1 launch vehicle.
- GTO payload with enhanced engines, as of GSLV version 2A[26]
- 5,100 kg to a 500-km Sun-synchronous orbit; 3,300 kg to 800 km[27]: 64–65
- Despite not being officially acknowledged by the manufacturer, significant changes between different iterations of the rocket lead to the identification of different variants.[30]
- A suborbital test flight was conducted in March 2012.[37]
- A suborbital test flight was conducted in 2014 (designated LVM-3/CARE) without the cryogenic upper stage (CUS).[61]
- Reference altitude 400 km
- Additionally, two suborbital missions were conducted in 2010 and 2011.[67]
- A suborbital test flight succeeded in 2022.
- A suborbital test flight succeeded in 2016; both orbital flights in 2017 and 2019 failed.[82]
- Suborbital test flight in 2004, without Fregat upper stage.[84]
Upcoming rockets
Upcoming launch vehicles
Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Height | Payload mass to ... (kg) | Reuse | Launch Site (s) | Date of first flight | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LEO | GTO | Other | |||||||
Antares 330 | United States | Northrop Grumman / | 47 m | 10,500 | No | 2025 | |||
Aurora | Canada | Reaction Dynamics | 18 m | 150 | No | 2024 | |||
Daytona | United States | Phantom Space | 18.7 m | 425 | No | 2023 | |||
Dauntless | United States | Vaya Space | 35 m | 1,000 | No |
|
2024 | ||
Laguna | United States | Phantom Space | 20.5 m | 630-1,200 | Yes | TBA | |||
MLV | United States | Firefly Aerospace | 55.7 m | 16,000 | No | 2025[106] | |||
Neutron | United States New Zealand |
Rocket Lab | 42.8 m | 13,000-15,000 | Yes | 2024[107] | |||
New Glenn | United States | Blue Origin | 98 m | 45,000[108] | 13,000 | Yes | 2024 | ||
Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) | United States | NASA / | 2.3 m | N/A | 0.5 to LMO | No |
|
2030 | |
Ravn X | United States | aevum | 24 m (drone)
9.8 m (rocket) |
100 | Yes | 2024 | |||
Rocket 4 | United States | Astra | 18.9 m | 600 | No | 2024 | |||
Shockwave | United States | iRocket | 2,200 | Yes | TBD | 2027 | |||
SLS Block 1B[lower-alpha 2] | United States | NASA / Boeing Northrop Grumman |
111 m | 105,000[109] | 37,000 to TLI[110] | No | 2028 | ||
SLS Block 2[lower-alpha 3] | United States | NASA / Boeing Northrop Grumman |
111 m | 130,000[111] | 45,000 to HCO[110] | No | 2033 | ||
Nova | United States | Stoke Space | 28.5 m | 1,500 | Yes | TBA | |||
Terran R | United States | Relativity Space | 82 m | 23,500-33,500 | 5,500[112] | Yes | 2026[112] | ||
Vector-R | United States | Vector Launch | 12 m | 60 | 26 to SSO | No |
|
TBA | |
Vulcan Centaur VC0 | United States | ULA | 61.6 m | 10,800 | 3,500 | 2,300 to TLI | Yes | 2020s | |
Vulcan Centaur VC2 | United States | ULA | 61.6 m | 19,000 | 8,400 | 2,600 to GEO 6,300 to TLI |
Yes | 2023[113] | |
Vulcan Centaur VC4 | United States | ULA | 61.6 m | 24,600 | 11,700 | 4,900 to GEO 9,200 to TLI |
Yes | 2020s | |
Vulcan Centaur VC6 | United States | ULA | 61.6 m | 27,200[114] | 14,400[114] | 6,500 to GEO 11,500 to TLI |
Yes | 2020s | |
Darwin II | China | Rocket Pi | 27.2 m | 470 | No | TBD | 2024 | ||
Gravity-1 | China | Orienspace | 31.4 m | 6,500 | 4,200 to SSO | No |
|
2023 | |
Gravity-2 | China | Orienspace | 60 m | 15,500 | 5,800 | 10,900 to SSO | Yes | TBA | 2024 |
Hyperbola-2 | China | i-Space | 35.2 m | 2,000[31] | Yes | 2024[35] | |||
Kinetica 1A | China | CAS Space | 42 m | 8,000 | No | 2024 | |||
Kinetica 3 | China | CAS Space | 53 m | 6,100 | Yes | 2025 | |||
Long March 6C | China | CALT | 43 m | 4,500 | No | 2023 | |||
Long March 9 | China | CALT | 114 m | 80,000-150,000[115] | 66,000[116] | 53,000 to TLI[115] 40,000 to TMI[117] |
Yes | 2033 | |
Long March 10 | China | CALT | 89-93.2 m | 70,000 | 27,000 to TLI | No | 2027 | ||
Long March 10A | China | CALT | 67 m | ~ 14,000 | Yes | >2027 | |||
Nebula-1 | China | Deep Blue Aerospace | 1,000 | Yes | TBA | 2024 | |||
OS-M2 | China | OneSpace | 390[118] | 292 to SSO | No | TBA | |||
Pallas-1 | China | Galactic Energy | 42 m | 5,000 | 3,000 to SSO | Yes | 2024[119] | ||
Space Chaser I | China | Nayuta space | 67.3 m | 10,000 | Yes | TBD | TBA | ||
Tianlong-3 | China | Space Pioneer | 71 m | 17,000 | Yes | 2024 | |||
Ariane 6 A62 | Europe | ArianeGroup | 63 m | 10,350[120]: 45 | 5,000[120]: 33 | 6,450 to SSO 3,000 to HEO 3,000 to TLI [120]: 40–49 |
No | 2024[121] | |
Ariane 6 A64 | Europe | ArianeGroup | 63 m | 21,650[120]: 46 | 11,500+ [120]: 33 | 14,900 to SSO 5,000 to GEO 8,400 to HEO 8,500 to TLI [120]: 40–49 |
No | 2024[121] | |
Cyclone-4M | Ukraine | Yuzhnoye Yuzhmash |
38.7 m | 5,000[122] | 1,000[123] | 3,350 to SSO[122] | No | 2025[124] | |
Hera II | United Kingdom | Astraius, Northrop Grumman,
Exquadrum[125] |
~26 m | 800 | No | 2024 | |||
Maia | France | MaiaSpace | 23.5 m | 500 | Yes | 2025 | |||
Miura 5 | Spain | PLD Space | 29.4 m | 840 | 450 to SSO | Yes | 2024[126] | ||
Prime | United Kingdom | Orbex | 19 m | 220[127] | 150 to SSO[lower-alpha 4][128] | No | 2023[129] | ||
RFA One | Germany | RFA | 30 m | 1,600[130] | 450[130] | No | 2024[131] | ||
ŞİMŞEK-1 | Turkey | Roketsan | TBA | 400 | No | 2027 | |||
Skyrora XL | United Kingdom | Skyrora | 22.7 m | 335[132] | 315 to SSO[132] | No | 2024 | ||
SL1 | Germany | HyImpulse | 27 m | 500 | No | 2025 | |||
Spectrum | Germany | Isar Aerospace | 28 m | 1,000[133] | 700 to SSO[133] | No | 2023[134] | ||
Vega-E | Europe | ESA / ASI | 36.2 m | 3,000[135] | No | 2026 | |||
Zephyr | France | Latitude | 17 m | 72 | No | 2026 | |||
Amur (Soyuz-7) | Russia | JSC SRC Progress | 55 m | 10,500-13,600[136] | 2,600 | 4,700 to SSO | Yes | 2028-2030 | |
Angara A5M | Russia | Khrunichev | 55.4 m | 26,800 | 4,100-5,200 | No | 2025 | ||
Angara A5P | Russia | Khrunichev | TBA | 18,800 | N/A | No | 2025 | ||
Angara A5V | Russia | Khrunichev | 70 m | 37,500 | 8,000 | Yes | TBD | 2027 | |
Cosmos | Russia | SR space | 18.5 m | 100 | Yes | TBD | |||
Rokot-M | Russia | Khrunichev | TBA | 1,950 | No | 2024 | |||
Irtysh (Soyuz-5) | Russia | TsSKB-Progress RSC Energia |
61.87 m | 18,000[137] | 2,500 to GEO | No | 2025[138] | ||
Stalker | Russia | SR space | 32.8 m | 950 | No | 2024 | |||
Volga (Soyuz-6) | Russia | TsSKB-Progress | TBA | 9,300 | 2,300 | 5,500 | No | 2025 | |
Yenisei[139] | Russia | TsSKB-Progress RSC Energia |
~80 m | 88,000 – 115,000[140] | 27,000 to TLI[141][142][143] | Yes | 2030s | ||
Agnibaan | India | AgniKul Cosmos | 18 m | 100 | No | 2023[144] | |||
NGLV | India | ISRO | TBA | 20,000 | 10,000 | No | TBA | ||
Vikram 1[145] | India | Skyroot Aerospace[146] | 20 m | 315 to 45º inclination 500 km LEO | 200 to 500 km SSPO | No | 2023[147] | ||
Vikram 2[145] | India | Skyroot Aerospace | TBA | 520 to 45º inclination 500 km LEO | 410 to 500 km SSPO | No | TBA | ||
Vikram 3[145] | India | Skyroot Aerospace | TBA | 720 to 45º inclination 500 km LEO | 580 to 500 km SSPO | No | TBA
| ||
Blue Whale 1 | South Korea | Perigee Aerospace | 21 m | 150-220 | 170 to SSO | Yes | 2024 | ||
Epsilon S | Japan | JAXA | 27 m | 1,400 | 600 to SSO | No | 2023 | ||
Hanbit-Nano | South Korea | Innospace | 17 m | 50 | No | 2024 | |||
H3-30S | Japan | Mitsubishi | 57 m | [29] | 4,000 to SSO | No | 2020s | ||
H3-22L | Japan | Mitsubishi | 63 m | [29] | No | 2020s | |||
H3-24L | Japan | Mitsubishi | 63 m | ~15,000 | 6,500 | No | 2020s | ||
Kairos | Japan | Space One | 18 m | 250 | No |
|
2024 | ||
KSLV-III | South Korea | KARI | TBD | 10,000 | No | 2030 | |||
Siraya | Taiwan | TASA | 25 m | 200 | No | TBD | TBA | ||
Solid fueled launch vehicle | South Korea | MND | TBA | TBA | No |
|
2020s | ||
Volans V500 | Singapore | Equatorial Space Systems | TBA | 150 | Yes |
|
2024 | ||
Zero | Japan | Interstellar Technologies | 25 m | 150 | 100 to SSO[lower-alpha 4][148] | No | 2025 | ||
Aventura 1 | Argentina | TLON Space | 10 m | 25 | Yes | TBA | 2024 | ||
Tronador II-250 | Argentina | CONAE | 27 m | 500 | No | 2030 | |||
VLM | Brazil | IAE | 19.6 m | 150 | No | 2025 | |||
Eris B1 | Australia | Gilmour Space Technologies | 25 m | 305[149] | No | 2023[150] | |||
Eris B2 | Australia | Gilmour Space Technologies | TBA | 650 | 450 to SSO | No | 2020s | ||
Zuljanah | Iran | Iranian Space Agency | 25.5 m | 220[151] | No | 2021 |
Retired rockets
- Reference altitude 500 km
- First suborbital test in 1969, first orbital launch attempt in 1970
- Despite not being officially aknowledged by the manifacturer, significant changes between different iterations of the rocket lead to the identification of different variants.[8]
- Without Buran, and assuming payload providing orbital insertion
- The U.S. Space Shuttle Transportation System and the Soviet Energia-Buran system consist of launch vehicle rockets and returnable spaceplane orbiter. Payload values listed here are for the mass of the payload in cargo bay of the spaceplanes, excluding the mass of the spaceplanes themselves.
- The SpaceX website lists the F9 payload to LEO as 13,150kg. The payload to GTO is listed as 4,850kg. However, SpaceX has stated that these numbers include a 30% margin to accommodate re-usability.
- Despite not being officially aknowledged by the manifacturer, significant changes between different iterations of the rocket lead to the identification of different variants.[30]
- Suborbital test flights in 1995, 1997 and 2002, no orbital launches attempted
- The N1 rocket was initially designed for 75 t LEO capacity and launch attempts were made with this version, but there were studies to increase the payload capacity to 90–95 t, if a liquid-hydrogen upper stage engine could be developed.
- A suborbital test flight was conducted in May 2018.[226]
- The Saturn V made 13 launches, 12 of which reached the correct orbits, and the other (Apollo 6) reached a different orbit than the one which had been planned; however, some mission objectives could still be completed; NASA, Saturn V News Reference, Appendix: Saturn V Flight History (1968) Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. For more information, see the Saturn V article. The Saturn V launch record is usually quoted as having never failed, e.g. "The rocket was masterminded by Wernher Von Braun and did not fail in any of its flights", Alan Lawrie and Robert Godwin; Saturn, but the Apollo 6 launch should be considered a partial mission failure. The 13th launch of Saturn V was in special configuration (SA-513) with the Skylab.
- A prior version of the SS-520 flew twice as a suborbital sounding rocket in 1998 and 2000. In 2017, the addition of a small third stage enabled orbital launches of ultra-light nano- or picosatellites.[261]
- A suborbital test flight failed in 2006. The first two orbital missions failed in 2009 and 2012, and the rocket finally reached orbit in late 2012.[282]
- A third rocket exploded before launch.
- First orbital launch attempt in 2005
Launch systems by country
The following chart shows the number of launch systems developed in each country, and broken down by operational status. Rocket variants are not distinguished; i.e., the Atlas V series is only counted once for all its configurations 401–431, 501–551, 552, and N22.
- Operational
- In development
- Retired
See also
- Comparison of orbital launchers families
- Comparison of orbital rocket engines
- Comparison of crewed space vehicles
- Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
- List of space launch system designs
- Reusable launch system
- List of orbital launch systems
- Lists of rockets
- List of sounding rockets
- List of upper stages
- Non-rocket spacelaunch
Notes
- There are many different methods. Each mestylethod has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the back/rear of the vehicle at very high speed through a supersonic de Laval nozzle. This sort of engine is called a rocket engine.
- The first medieval rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese, Indians, Mongols and Arabs, in warfare as early as the 13th century.
- Such as the Pegasus rocket and SpaceShipOne.
- Most satellites have simple reliable chemical thrusters (often monopropellant rockets) or resistojet rockets for orbital station-keeping and some use momentum wheels for attitude control. Soviet bloc satellites have used electric propulsion for decades, and newer Western geo-orbiting spacecraft are starting to use them for north-south stationkeeping and orbit raising. Interplanetary vehicles mostly use chemical rockets as well, although a few have used ion thrusters and Hall effect thrusters (two different types of electric propulsion) to great success.
References
- "Firefly Alpha". Firefly Aerospace. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- "Angara Launch Vehicle Family". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
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