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.
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
Operators | Various space organizations |
Preceded by | Small-lift launch vehicle |
Succeeded by | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
Built | 1958– |
Building | 8 |
Active | 25 |
Retired | 41 |
General characteristics | |
Propulsion | Various liquid-fueled engines and solid motors |
Capacity |
|
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 |
270 | 2018 |
Soyuz-2/Soyuz ST | Russia | TsSKB-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 | United Launch Alliance | 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 | 22 | 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 | TsSKB-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 | European Union | Avio | 2,200 to SSO (700 km)[4] | 2 | 2022 | |
H3 | Japan | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 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 | Arianespace | 10,350 | 5,000 to GTO | 2024 (Awaiting) |
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 | 2024 | ||
MLV | United States | Firefly Aerospace | 14,000[5] | 2025 | ||
Zhuque-3 | China | LandSpace | 11,000-20,000 | 2025 | ||
Irtysh | Russia | Progress Rocket Space Centre | 18,000 | 5,000 to GTO | 2025 | |
Hyperbola-3 | China | i-Space | 13,400(expendable)
8,500(reusable)[6] |
NET 2025[7] | ||
Unified Launch Vehicle | India | Indian Space Research Organization | 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[8] | NET 2026[9] |
Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | 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
long | |
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 |
TsSKB-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 (depends on variant)[10][11] | 500-910 to GTO[12] | 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 |
TsSKB-Progress | 6,900 | 786 | 1973 | 2017 | |
Feng Bao 1 | China | Shanghai Bureau No.2 | 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 | Douglas | 3,452–3,848 | 30 | 1980 | 1990 | |
N-II[13] | Japan | Mitsubishi | 2,000 | 8 | 1981 | 1987 | |
Soyuz-U2 | Soviet Union | TsSKB-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 | Aérospatiale | 7,600 | 4,800 to GTO | 116 | 1988 | 2003 |
Delta II | United States | United Launch Alliance | 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 | Arianespace | 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 | TsSKB-Progress | 6,900 | 70 | 2001 | 2019 | |
GSLV Mk.I | India | ISRO | 4,000 | 2,150 to GTO | 6 | 2001 | 2010 |
H-IIB | Japan | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 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 110–130 | United States | Orbital Sciences | 5,100[14] | 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
(before Block 5) |
United States | SpaceX | 15,600+[15] | 7,075+[16] to GTO | 63 | 2015 | 2018 |
Antares 230 | United States | Northrop Grumman | 8,000[14] | 3,000 to SSO | 13 | 2016 | 2023 |