Heavy-lift launch vehicle explained

A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are capable of lifting payloads between 20000to (by NASA classification) or between NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb) (by Russian classification)[1] into low Earth orbit (LEO).[2], operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M.[3]

In addition, the Angara A5, the Falcon 9 Block 5, the Falcon Heavy, the Vulcan Centaur, Ariane 6, and New Glenn are designed to provide heavy-lift capabilities in at least some configurations but have not yet been proven to carry a 20-tonne payload into LEO. Several other heavy-lift rockets are in development. An HLV is between medium-lift launch vehicles and super heavy-lift launch vehicles.

Rated launch vehicles

Operational

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Heaviest launch (kg)LaunchesFirst flight
...to LEO or MEO...to GTO or GSO...to HEO and beyond
Long March 5/5BCALT[4] [5] [6] to Moon[7] 122016
Proton-MKhrunichev[8] [9] [10] to Mars[11] 1152001
Angara A5Khrunichev
KBKhA		[12] [13] 42014
Falcon 9SpaceX[14] [15] [16] 182015 (Falcon 9 FT)
Falcon HeavySpaceX+[17] [18] to Jupiter[19] 112018
Vulcan Centaur[20] to Moon[21] 22024

Under development

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Expected flight
New Glenn[22] Blue Origin[23] 2024[24]
Ariane 6 (A64)
ArianeGroup[25] 2025
ISROTBD
SHLVISRO[26] TBD
Zhuque-3LandSpace[27] 2025
Gravity-2Orienspace[28] 2025
Terran RRelativity Space2026[29]
Angara-A5VKhrunichev, Polyot2027
Mitsubishi[30] 2030

Retired

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Heaviest launch (kg)Launches<-- Only counts launches over 20,000 kg -->First flightLast Flight
...to LEO or MEO...to GTO or GSO...to HEO and beyond
Saturn IB——919661975

Khrunichev[31] 4[32] 19672012
Space ShuttleUSA[33] —<-- The Space Shuttle always flew to Low Earth Orbit, but has delivered satellites to middle-Earth and geostationary orbits with the help of boosters strapped on the satellite. -->—<-- The Space Shuttle launched several interplanetary missions using solid-fuel Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) boosters, with which the probes were launched from the shuttle orbiter when it was in orbit. -->13519812011
Titan IVLockheed Martin[34] ClassifiedClassified to Saturn3919892005
Ariane 5 ECA/ES
Ariane Group[35] [36] [37] to Sun-Earth [38] 9220022023
Delta IV HeavyULA[39] [40] Classified to heliocentric orbit1620042024

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Osipov, Yuri. Great Russian Encyclopedia. Great Russian Encyclopedia. 2004–2017. Moscow. 9 June 2021. 27 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210527140116/https://bigenc.ru/technology_and_technique/text/3492657. live.
  2. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/500393main_TA01-LaunchPropulsion-DRAFT-Nov2010-A.pdf NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11
  3. Web site: What Is a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle? . . Sandra . May . 27 August 2014 . 11 June 2017 . 11 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200911082325/https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-heavy-lift-launch-vehicle-58.html . dead.
  4. Web site: 5 May 2020. Long March 5B launch clears path for Chinese space station project. 5 June 2020. SpaceNews.com. en-US.
  5. Web site: 长五B火箭打赢空间站建造关键之战 . 2022-07-25 . 新华网 . zh-hans . 2022-07-26 .
  6. Web site: China launches large classified optical satellite towards geostationary orbit . Andrew Jones . 15 December 2023 . SpaceNews . en . 13 March 2024 .
  7. Web site: Historic journey from Chang'e 6 lifts off . . 3 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240503215544/https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c10522480/content.html . 3 May 2024 . 3 May 2024.
  8. Web site: Proton Launch System Mission Planner's Guide – Section 2. LV Performance . . July 2009 . 11 June 2017 . 17 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130517005428/http://www.ilslaunch.com/sites/default/files/pdf/PMPG%20Section%202.pdf . live .
  9. Web site: SJ 20 – NasaSpaceflight. nasaspaceflight.com. 21 July 2021. 13 August 2021. 13 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210813071629/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/07/nauka-launch/. live.
  10. Web site: ViaSat 1 . Gunter's Space Page . Gunter . Krebs . 11 June 2017 . 4 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170604140325/http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/viasat-1.htm . live .
  11. Web site: ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) . European Space Agency . 12 July 2012 . 8 March 2014 . 27 April 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200427024047/https://exploration.esa.int/web/mars/-/46475-trace-gas-orbiter . live .
  12. Web site: Spaceflight101, Angara-a5 . 22 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180809064138/http://spaceflight101.com/spacerockets/angara-a5/ . 9 August 2018 . dead .
  13. Web site: 14 December 2020. The cargo was delivered to orbit: the launch of the "Angara" was carried out in the normal mode. (In Russian). Vesti.ru. 14 December 2020. 14 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201214130706/https://www.vesti.ru/article/2498571. live.
  14. Web site: Capabilities & Services (2016). SpaceX. May 3, 2016. November 28, 2012. August 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130802105223/http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities. dead.
  15. Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon . spacex . 1618598959840366593 . Twitter . 27 January 2023.
  16. News: Record-setting commercial satellite awaits blastoff from Cape Canaveral . Stephen Clark . 21 July 2018 . Spaceflight Now .
  17. Web site: Capabilities & Services | SpaceX . 3 May 2016 . 4 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160404042653/http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities . dead .
  18. Web site: Arabsat 6A . Gunter's Space Page . 13 April 2019 . 16 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190716192815/https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/arabsat-6a.htm . live .
  19. Web site: Liftoff! NASA’s Europa Clipper Sails Toward Ocean Moon of Jupiter . NASA JPL . 4 November 2024.
  20. United Launch Alliance Building Rocket of the Future with Industry-Leading Strategic Partnerships . . 27 September 2018 . 28 September 2018 . 28 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180928043933/https://www.ulalaunch.com/about/news-detail/2018/09/27/united-launch-alliance-building-rocket-of-the-future-with-industry-leading-strategic-partnerships . live .
  21. Web site: McCrea . Aaron . Vulcan successfully launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural flight . 8 January 2024 . 8 January 2024 . NASASpaceFlight.
  22. Web site: New Glenn . 2024-04-19 . Blue Origin . en-US.
  23. Web site: Foust . Jeff . 8 March 2017 . Eutelsat first customer for Blue Origin's New Glenn . live . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20170321014232/http://spacenews.com/eutelsat%2Dfirst%2Dcustomer%2Dfor%2Dblue%2Dorigins%2Dnew%2Dglenn/ . 21 March 2017 . 8 March 2017 . SpaceNews.
  24. 1783086933272400147 . jeff_foust . For what it's worth: a NASA presentation at a COSPAR planetary protection meeting this morning listed a Sept. 29 launch date for ESCAPADE, the Mars orbiter smallsat mission flying on Blue Origin's New Glenn . Jeff . Foust . 24 April 2024.
  25. Web site: Lagier . Roland . March 2018 . Ariane 6 User's Manual Issue 1 Revision 0 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111191731/https://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Mua-6_Issue-1_Revision-0_March-2018.pdf . 11 November 2020 . 27 May 2018 . Arianespace. 46.
  26. Web site: ULV . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201031225543/http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/India/ULV/Description/Frame.htm . 31 October 2020 . 2021-01-06 . www.b14643.de.
  27. Web site: Jones . Andrew . 19 January 2024 . China's Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket . 29 March 2024 . SpaceNews.
  28. Web site: Jones . Andrew . 11 January 2024 . Orienspace breaks Chinese commercial launch records with Gravity-1 solid rocket . 11 January 2024 . SpaceNews.
  29. Web site: Berger . Eric . 12 April 2023 . Relativity Space is moving on from the Terran 1 rocket to something much bigger . 12 April 2023 . Ars Technica.
  30. Web site: 2019-10-25 . Mitsubishi Heavy Industries mulls upgraded H3 rocket variants for lunar missions . live . https://archive.today/20210411150031/https://spacenews.com/mitsubishi-heavy-industries-mulls-upgraded-h3-rocket-variants-for-lunar-missions/ . 11 April 2021 . 2021-01-06 . SpaceNews . en-US.
  31. Web site: ГКНПЦ имени М.В.Хруничева Служебный модуль «Звезда» . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20110527164552/http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=54 . 27 May 2011 . 2021-01-06 . www.khrunichev.ru.
  32. Web site: Proton Data Sheet . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20180704214007/http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/proton.html . 4 July 2018 . 2021-01-06 . www.spacelaunchreport.com.
  33. Web site: Shuttle . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173549/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/shuttle.htm . 3 March 2016 . 2021-01-06 . www.astronautix.com.
  34. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/titan4b.htm astronautix.com, Titan IV
  35. Web site: Ariane 5 Users Manual, Issue 4, P. 39 (ISS orbit) . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021638/http://www.arianespace.com/site/documents/Ariane5_users_manual_Issue4.pdf . 27 September 2007 . 13 November 2007 . Arianespace.
  36. Web site: 30 July 2014 . Lanzamiento del ATV-5 Georges Lemaître (Ariane 5 ES) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140803004547/http://danielmarin.naukas.com/2014/07/31/lanzamiento-del-atv-5-georges-lemaitre-ariane-5-es . 3 August 2014 . 11 June 2017.
  37. Web site: Ariane Flight VA255 . 2021-11-04 . Arianespace . en-US.
  38. Web site: Webb . 2021-12-27 . www.esa.int . en.
  39. Web site: June 2013 . Delta IV Launch Services User's Guide, June 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140710005717/http://www.ulalaunch.com/uploads/docs/Launch_Vehicles/Delta_IV_Users_Guide_June_2013.pdf . 10 July 2014 . 9 October 2017 . . 2–10.
  40. Web site: December 2014 . NASA Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 PRESS KIT . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180828211233/https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/JSC_OrionEFT-1_PressKit_accessible.pdf . 28 August 2018 . 11 February 2018 . . 12.

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