Medium-lift launch vehicle explained

A medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is a rocket launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2000kgto20000kgkg (4,000lbto40,000lbkg) by NASA classification or between NaNkg (-2,147,483,648lb) 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.

Rated launch vehicles

Operational

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Mass to other orbits (kg)LaunchesFirst Flight
Falcon 9 Block 5SpaceX (reusable)
22,800 (expendable)		 to GTO (reusable)
8,300 to GTO (expendable)
4,020 to Mars		2018
Soyuz-2Progress to GTO
4,400 to SSO		1752006
Long March 4B/4CSAST to GTO
2,800 to SSO		1011999
Atlas VULA to GTO992002
Long March 2DSAST to SSO891992
Zenit-3Yuzhmash to GTO841999
Long March 3B/ECALT to GTO
6,900 to SSO		822007
Long March 2CCALT to SSO771982
PSLVISRO to GTO
to SSO		601993
H-IIAMitsubishi to GTO482001
Long March 3ACALT to GTO
5,000 to SSO		271994
Long March 2FCALT to GTO231999
Long March 3CCALT to GTO
6,500 to SSO		182008
GSLVISRO to GTO162010
Long March 7/7ACALT to SSO
to GTO		142016
Soyuz-2.1vProgress to SSO92013
LVM3ISRO to GTO72017
Long March 6ACALT to SSO52022
NuriKARI to SSO (700 km)32022
Zhuque-2LandSpace to SSO (500 km)32022
Long March 8CALT to SSO32020
Angara 1.2Khrunichev[3] 22022
Vega C
Avio to SSO (700 km)[4] 22022
H3Mitsubishi to GTO
to SSO		22023
Gravity-1Orienspace to SSO12024
Ariane 6 (A62)
Ariane Group to GTO12024

Under development

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Mass to other orbits (kg)Expected Flight
Tianlong-3Space Pioneer to SSO2024
Long March 12CALT to SSO2024
Pallas-1Galactic Energy to SSO2024
Neutron
Rocket Lab2025[5]
MLVFirefly[6] 2025
Zhuque-3LandSpace-20,0002025
IrtyshProgress to GTO2025
Hyperbola-3i-Space (expendable)
(reusable)[7] 		2025
Unified Launch VehicleISRO-15,000-6,000 to GTO2026
Long March 10ACALT2026
Pallas-2Galactic Energy[8] 2026[9]

Retired

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass to LEO (kg)Mass to other orbits (kg)LaunchesFirst FlightLast Flight
VostokRSC Energia19581991
Saturn IChrysler & Douglas19611965
Atlas-CentaurLockheed19621983
Titan II GLVMartin19641966
Titan IIICMartin to GTO
1,200 to TMI		19651982
Molniya-M
Progress19652010
Proton-K
Khrunichev19652012
Soyuz originalOKB-119661975
R-36 Tsyklon
Yuzhmash–5,250[10] [11] –910 to GTO[12] 19672009
Soyuz-LOKB-119701971
Titan IIIDMartin19711982
Soyuz-MOKB-119711976
Soyuz-U
Progress19732017
Feng Bao 1SAST19731981
Long March 2ACALT19741976
Titan IIIEMartin Marietta to TMI19741977
Delta 3920–5920McDonnell Douglas–3,84819801990
N-II[13] Mitsubishi19811987
Soyuz-U2Progress19821995
Atlas GLockheed19841989
Long March 3CALT to GTO19842000
Zenit-2
Yuzhnoye19852004
H-IMitsubishi to GTO19861992
Long March 4ASAST19881990
Ariane 4
Aérospatiale to GTO19882003
Delta IIULA to GTO
1,000 to HCO		19892018
Atlas I, II, IIILockheed–8,686–4,609 to GTO19902005
Long March 2ECALT19901995
H-II / IISMitsubishi to GTO19941999
Ariane 5
Ariane Group to GTO19962023
Long March 3BCALT to GTO
5,700 to SSO		19962012
Delta IIIBoeing to GTO19982000
DneprYuzhmash to GTO
550 to TLI		19992015
Soyuz-FGProgress20012019
GSLV Mk.IISRO to GTO20012010
H-IIBMitsubishi to GTO20092020
Falcon 9 v1.0SpaceX to GTO20102013
Antares 110/120/130Orbital to SSO20132014
Falcon 9 v1.1SpaceX to GTO20132016
Falcon 9 Full ThrustSpaceX+[14] +[15] to GTO20152018
Antares 230/230+Northrop Grumman[16] to SSO20162023

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. dead.
  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: Angara Launch Vehicle Family . 2 September 2018 . Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.
  4. Web site: Vega C . 18 June 2021.
  5. Web site: 2024-05-06 . Rocket Lab Completes Archimedes Engine Build, Begins Engine Test Campaign . 2024-05-07 . www.businesswire.com . en.
  6. Web site: Medium Launch Vehicle . Firefly Aerospace . 11 March 2023.
  7. Web site: Jones . Andrew . China's (reusable) rocket race heats up with new hop test . . 11 December 2023 . 1 April 2024.
  8. Web site: 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 . Taibo . 20 February 2021 . 4 March 2021 . zh.
  9. Web site: Jones . Andrew . Galactic Energy registers sixth consecutive successful launch . . 22 July 2023 . 17 September 2023.
  10. Web site: Tsiklon-2. https://web.archive.org/web/20161227195141/http://astronautix.com/t/tsiklon-2.html. dead. 27 December 2016.
  11. Encyclopedia: Tsiklon-4 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160822034720/http://www.astronautix.com/t/tsiklon-4.html . dead . 22 August 2016 . Encyclopedia Astronautica . 8 August 2016.
  12. Web site: Tsyklon-4M (Cyclone-4M) prepares a move to Canada.
  13. Web site: N-2. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 12 June 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131108110724/http://astronautix.com/lvs/n2.htm. 8 November 2013.
  14. Web site: SpaceX and Cape Canaveral Return to Action with First Operational Starlink Mission. 2019-11-11. NASASpaceFlight.com. 2019-11-11.
  15. Web site: Krebs . Gunter . Telstar 19V (Telstar 19 Vantage) . Gunter's Space Page . Gunter . 7 August 2018.
  16. Web site: Krebs . Gunter . Antares (Taurus-2) . 22 September 2018 . Gunter's Space Page.

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