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Heavy-lift launch vehicle

Class overview
NameHeavy-lift launch vehicle
Preceded byMedium-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded bySuper heavy-lift launch vehicle
BuiltSince 1966
General characteristics
Capacity20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb)

A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb) (by NASA classification) or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms (44,000 to 220,000 lb) (by Russian classification)[1] into low Earth orbit (LEO).[2] Heavy-lift launch vehicles often carry payloads into higher-energy orbits, such as geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) or heliocentric orbit (HCO).[3] An HLV is between a medium-lift launch vehicle and a super heavy-lift launch vehicle.


History and design

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Launch of AS-203, an uncrewed Saturn IB

Government

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The first heavy-lift launch vehicles in the 1960s included the US Saturn IB and the Soviet Proton. Saturn IB was designed to carry the Apollo spacecraft into orbit and had increased engine thrust and a redesigned second stage from its predecessor. Proton was originally designed to be a large intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).[4] Russia still operates variants of the Proton as of 2024, although it is expected to be phased out in favor of the Angara A5.

NASA introduced the Space Shuttle as the first partially reusable launch vehicle in 1981. The Space Shuttle carried up to eight crew members in addition to deploying heavy payloads to LEO, including space station modules and Department of Defense payloads. Higher-energy orbits for payloads were reached through the use of a kick stage such as the Inertial Upper Stage.

The United States Air Force (USAF) operated the Titan IV to supplement Space Shuttle launches. This was derived from the Titan family of ICBMs and launch vehicles, with upgrades including solid rocket boosters (SRBs), vehicle lengthening, and an optional third stage.[5] The USAF began the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program in 1994 to ensure access to space through contracted launch providers. This led to the development of the Delta IV, with the heavy variant using three first stage cores. United Launch Alliance (ULA) introduced Vulcan Centaur in 2024 as the successor to its Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, with Vulcan featuring a single, wider core and optional SRBs.

China's Long March 5 was introduced in 2016 as the most powerful version of the Long March family. It is notable as a Chinese launch vehicle using non-hypergolic liquid propellants.[6]

Commercial

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Ariane 5ES carrying ATV-004

The European Ariane 5 first flew in 1996 and launched many commercial payloads to GTO. It benefited in this role by launching from Guiana Space Center, a spaceport near the equator in French territory. Ariane 5 often carried multiple payloads per launch and set records for mass to GTO delivered for commercial payloads.

Falcon 9 was introduced by SpaceX in 2010, designed as a medium-lift launch vehicle with a reusable first stage.[a] Falcon 9 grew more capable through iterative design, with upgrades including improved Merlin engines and the lengthening of both stages. Since the introduction of Falcon 9 Full Thrust in 2015, the vehicle meets the capacity requirements of a heavy-lift vehicle when the first stage is expended. In 2021, Falcon 9 carried a record of 143 satellites into orbit on a single launch.[7] Falcon Heavy uses three first stage boosters similarly to Delta IV Heavy, but requires a strengthened center core. Falcon Heavy made its first flight in 2017 and was most capable operational launch vehicle until NASA's SLS launched in 2022.[8] Falcon Heavy is categorized as a heavy-lift launch vehicle when flown in configuration to recover the center core and both side boosters. When expending the center core or all boosters, its payload to LEO exceeds 50,000 kg, qualifying Falcon Heavy as a super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

Rated launch vehicles

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Operational

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Heaviest launch (kg) Launches First flight
...to LEO or MEO ...to GTO or GSO ...to HEO and beyond
Long March 5/5B  China CALT 25,000[9] 23,200[10] 14,000[11] 8,350 to Moon[12] 12 2016
Proton-M  Russia Khrunichev 23,000[13] 20,350[14] 6,740[15] 3,755 to Mars[16] 115 2001
Angara A5  Russia Khrunichev
KBKhA 		24,500[17][b] — 2,400[18] — 4 2014
Falcon 9[c]  United States SpaceX 22,800[19][d] 17,400[20] 7,076[21] 1,108 to HCO 18[e] 2015 (Falcon 9 FT)[f]
Falcon Heavy[g]  United States SpaceX 38,000+[22][h] 3,700 6,465[23][i] 6,000 to Jupiter[24][j] 11[k] 2018
Vulcan Centaur (VC4, VC6)[l]  United States ULA 27,200[25][m] — — 1,500 to HCO[26] 2[n] 2024
Ariane 6 (A64)[o]  France
 Europe[p] 		ArianeGroup 21,650[27] 1,600 1[q] 2024[28]

Under development

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Expected flight
HLV  India ISRO 20,000 TBD
SHLV  India ISRO 41,300[29] TBD
Zhuque-3  China LandSpace 21,000[30] 2025
Gravity-2  China Orienspace 25,600[31] 2025
Terran R  United States Relativity Space 33,500 2026[32]
Angara-A5V  Russia Khrunichev, Polyot 38,000 2027
H3 Heavy  Japan Mitsubishi 28,300[33] 2030
New Glenn  United States Blue Origin 45,000[34] 2025[35]

Retired

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Heaviest launch (kg) Launches First flight Last Flight
...to LEO or MEO ...to GTO or GSO ...to HEO and beyond
Saturn IB  United States Chrysler & Douglas 21,000 20,847 — — 9 1966 1975
Proton-K  Soviet Union
 Russia 		Khrunichev 19,760[36][r] 22,776 4,723 6,220 310[38][s] 1967 2012
Space Shuttle  United States USA 27,500[t][39] 22,753 Classified[u][v] 3,445 to Venus[40][v] 135 1981 2011
Titan IV  United States Lockheed Martin 21,680[41] ≥ 19,600[u][w] Classified[u] 5,712 to Saturn[j] 39 1989 2005
Ariane 5 ECA/ES  France
 Europe[x] 		Ariane Group 21,000[43] 20,293[44] 11,210[45] 6,161.4 to Sun-Earth L2[46] 92 2002 2023
Delta IV Heavy  United States ULA 28,790[47] < 21,000[48][y] Classified[u] 685 to heliocentric orbit 16 2004 2024

Notes

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  1. ^ The first successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage occured in 2015
  2. ^ from Vostochny cosmodrome
  3. ^ Only when the first stage is expended. In reusable configuration, Falcon 9 is classified as a medium-lift launch vehicle
  4. ^ in expendable configuration
  5. ^ 18 expendable launches for Full Thrust and Block 5 versions, meeting the capacity requirement of a heavy-lift vehicle
  6. ^ The first Falcon 9 v1.0 launched in 2010; however, versions prior to Falcon 9 Full Thrust were not capable of lifting payloads over 20,000kg
  7. ^ When all cores are recovered. When the center core is expended, Falcon Heavy is classified as a super heavy-lift launch vehicle with a theoretical payload to LEO over 50,000 kg
  8. ^ Depending on booster recovery configuration
  9. ^ to 90,000-km supersynchronous GTO
  10. ^ a b With spacecraft gravity assists.
  11. ^ 8 of these launches were in at least partially expendable configurations, rating the vehicle as super heavy for those launches
  12. ^ As of January 2025, Vulcan has only flown in the medium-lift VC2 configuration
  13. ^ when launching in VC6 configuration with six SRBs
  14. ^ Vulcan's first two launches were in the medium-lift VC2 configuration
  15. ^ As of January 2025, Ariane 6 has not flown in the A64 configuration
  16. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
  17. ^ The first launch of Ariane 6 was in the medium-lift A62 configuration
  18. ^ Proton-K is considered to be a heavy-lift launch vehicle[37]
  19. ^ 4 launches carried over 20,000 kg
  20. ^ excluding orbiter mass
  21. ^ a b c d Actual payloads flown are classified under the NRO launch program.
  22. ^ a b The Space Shuttle deployed payloads with an attached Inertial Upper Stage to reach orbits beyond LEO
  23. ^ KH-11 launches had 19,600 kg[42]
  24. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.
  25. ^ The officially reported mass of 21,000 kg includes the Launch Abort System (LAS) which did not reach orbit.

See also

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References

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