Contents

Medium-lift launch vehicle

Amedium-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]ofpayload into low Earth orbit (LEO).^[2] An MLV is between small-lift launch vehicles and heavy-lift launch vehicles.

Rated launch vehicles[edit]

Operational[edit]

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	296	2018
Soyuz-2	Russia	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	ULA	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	23	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	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	Italy  Europe[d]	Avio		2,200 to SSO (700 km)[4]	2	2022
H3	Japan	Mitsubishi		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  Europe[e]	Ariane Group	10,350	5,000 to GTO		2024

Under development[edit]

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		2025[5]
MLV	United States	Firefly	14,000[6]		2025
Zhuque-3	China	LandSpace	11,000-20,000		2025
Irtysh	Russia	Progress	18,000	5,000 to GTO	2025
Hyperbola-3	China	i-Space	13,400 (expendable) 8,500 (reusable)[7]		2025[7]
Unified Launch Vehicle	India	ISRO	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]		2026[9]

Retired[edit]

Vehicle	Origin	Manufacturer[f]	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
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	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[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	Progress	6,900		786	1973	2017
Feng Bao 1	China	SAST	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	McDonnell Douglas	3,452–3,848		30	1980	1990
N-II[13]	Japan	Mitsubishi	2,000		8	1981	1987
Soyuz-U2	Soviet Union	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  Europe[g]	Aérospatiale	7,600	4,800 to GTO	116	1988	2003
Delta II	United States	ULA	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  Europe[h]	Ariane Group	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	Progress	6,900		70	2001	2019
GSLV Mk.I	India	ISRO	4,000	2,150 to GTO	6	2001	2010
H-IIB	Japan	Mitsubishi	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 110/120/130	United States	Orbital	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	United States	SpaceX	15,600+[15]	7,075+[16] to GTO	63	2015	2018
Antares 230/230+	United States	Northrop Grumman	8,000[14]	3,000 to SSO	13	2016	2023

Notes[edit]

See also[edit]

• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Comparison of orbital rocket engines
• Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
• List of orbital launch systems
• Sounding rocket, suborbital launch vehicle
• Small-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) to low Earth orbit
• Heavy-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg (44,000 and 110,000 lb) to low Earth orbit
• Super heavy-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) to Low Earth orbit

References[edit]