Engineering:Heavy-lift launch vehicle

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Short description: Launch vehicle capable of lifting over 20,000 kg into low Earth orbit
From left: Falcon Heavy, Long March 5, Proton-M
Class overview
NameHeavy-lift launch vehicle
Preceded byMedium-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded bySuper heavy-lift launch vehicle
BuiltSince 1966
__1B0X_5H1P__class overview
General characteristics
Capacity20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb)
__1B0X_5H1P__characteristics

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

Launch of AS-203, an uncrewed Saturn IB

Government

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 2026, 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

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.[lower-alpha 1] 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 the 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

Rocket Configuration Organization Nationality Liftoff thrust Mass to LEO Maiden successful flight Heaviest known launch Status Reusable Launches
(success / total) 		Cost per launch
(adjusted for inflation) 		Cost per Kg to LEO
...to LEO or MEO ...to GTO or GSO ...to HEO and beyond
Saturn IB NASA  United States 7,100 kN (1,600,000 lbf) 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) 1966 20,847 kg (45,960 lb) N/A N/A Retired (1975) No 9 / 9 US$413 million[9] $19,667
Proton K Khrunichev  Soviet Union
 Russia 		10,470 kN (2,350,000 lbf) 19,760 kg (43,560 lb)[10][lower-alpha 2] 1967 22,776 kg (50,212 lb) 4,723 kg (10,412 lb) 6,220 kg (13,710 lb) Retired (2017) No 275 / 310 US$65 million[12] $3,289
M  Russia 10,532 kN (2,368,000 lbf) 23,000 kg (51,000 lb)[13] 2001 20,350 kg (44,860 lb) 6,740 kg (14,860 lb) 3,755 kg (8,278 lb) Operational No 105 / 116 US$65 million[12] $2,826
Space Shuttle United Space Alliance (USA)  United States 28,750 kN (6,460,000 lbf) 27,500 kg (60,600 lb)[lower-alpha 3][14] 1981 22,753 kg (50,162 lb) Classified[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 5] 3,455 kg (7,617 lb) Retired (2011) Partially 133 / 135 US$601 million[15] $21,855
Titan IV Lockheed Martin 15,120 kN (3,400,000 lbf) 21,380 kg (47,130 lb)[16] 1989 ≥ 19,600 kg (43,200 lb)[lower-alpha 4][lower-alpha 6] Classified[lower-alpha 4] 5,712 kg (12,593 lb) Retired (2005) No 35 / 39 US$432 million $20,206
Ariane 5 ECA/ES Ariane Group  Europe 15,175 kN (3,411,000 lbf) 21,000 kg (46,000 lb)[18] 1998 20,293 kg (44,738 lb)[19] 11,210 kg (24,710 lb)[20] 6,161.4 kg (13,584 lb)[21] Retired (2023) No 90 / 92 US$200 million[22] $9,524
Delta IV Heavy ULA  United States 9,420 kN (2,120,000 lbf) 28,790 kg (63,470 lb)[23] 2007 21,000 kg (46,000 lb)[24] Classified[lower-alpha 4] 685 kg (1,510 lb) Retired (2024) No 15 / 16 US$350 million[25] $12,157
Angara A5 Angara-A5 Khrunichev, KBKhA  Russia 9,600 kN (2,200,000 lbf) 24,500 kg (54,000 lb)[26] 2014 N/A 2,400 kg (5,300 lb)[27] N/A Operational No 4 / 5 US$100 million (2021) [28] $4,082
Angara-A5V Khrunichev, Polyot 38,000 kg (84,000 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development No — ?
Falcon 9 FT Expended SpaceX  United States 7,600 kN (1,700,000 lbf) 22,800 kg (50,300 lb) 2017 17,400 kg (38,400 lb)[29] 7,076 kg (15,600 lb)[30] 1,108 kg (2,443 lb) Operational No 30 / 30[citation needed] US$69.7 million $3,057
Long March 5/5B CALT  China 10,636 kN (2,391,000 lbf) 25,000 kg (55,000 lb)[31] 2016 23,200 kg (51,100 lb)[32] 14,000 kg (31,000 lb)[33] 8,350 kg (18,410 lb)[34] Operational No 16 / 17 US$160 million[35][36] $6,400
Falcon Heavy Recoverable boosters and first stage SpaceX  United States 22,800 kN (5,100,000 lbf) >38,000 kg (84,000 lb)[37] 2018 3,700 kg (8,200 lb) 6,465 kg (14,253 lb)[38] ~1,250 kg (2,760 lb) Operational Partially 3 / 3 US$95 million[39] > $2,500
Starship Block 1 SpaceX 69,627 kN (15,653,000 lbf) 15,000 kg (33,000 lb)[40][lower-alpha 7] 2024 N/A N/A N/A Retired (2024) No Template:SpaceX Starship Statistics / Template:SpaceX Starship Statistics N/A N/A
Block 2 69,627 kN (15,653,000 lbf) 35,000 kg (77,000 lb)[40] 2025 N/A N/A N/A Retired (2025) Partially Template:SpaceX Starship Statistics / Template:SpaceX Starship Statistics N/A N/A
Vulcan Centaur VC4 ULA 13,137 kN (2,953,000 lbf) 21,400 kg (47,200 lb) 2025 N/A 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) N/A Operational Planned (partial) 2 / 2 US$110 million[41] $5,140
VC6 17,259 kN (3,880,000 lbf) 27,200 kg (60,000 lb)[42] N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partial) — $4,044
New Glenn Blue Origin 17,100 kN (3,800,000 lbf) 45,000 kg (99,000 lb)[43] 2025 6,100 kg (13,400 lb)[44] N/A 1,070 kg (2,360 lb)[45] Operational Partial 2 / 3 US$68-110 million[46][47] $1,511-2,444
Ariane 6 A64 Ariane Group  Europe 15,370 kN (3,460,000 lbf) 21,650 kg (47,730 lb)[48] 2026 ~20,000 kg (44,000 lb)[49] N/A N/A Operational Planned (partially) 2 / 2 US$133 million[50] $6,143
Long March 12B[lower-alpha 8] CALT  China 7,515 kN (1,689,000 lbf) 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) 2026 N/A N/A N/A Operational Planned (partially) 1 / 1 ?
Zhuque-3E LandSpace 9,000 kN (2,000,000 lbf) 21,300 kg (47,000 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?
Gravity-2 Orienspace ? 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?
Terran R Relativity Space  United States 15,480 kN (3,480,000 lbf) 33,500 kg (73,900 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?
NGLV NGLV ISRO  India ? 23,000 kg (51,000 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?
NGLV-H ? 31,700 kg (69,900 lb) N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?
Miura Next Heavy Expended PLD Space  Spain 16,600 kN (3,700,000 lbf) 36,000 kg (79,000 lb)[51] N/A N/A N/A N/A Under development Planned (partially) — ?


Notes

  1. ↑ The first successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage occurred in 2015
  2. ↑ Proton-K is considered to be a heavy-lift launch vehicle[11]
  3. ↑ excluding orbiter mass
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Actual payloads flown are classified under the NRO launch program.
  5. ↑ The Space Shuttle deployed payloads with an attached Inertial Upper Stage to reach orbits beyond LEO
  6. ↑ KH-11 launches had 19,600 kg[17]
  7. ↑ Payload if both stages reserve propellant for landing tests. Payload would be significantly larger when both stages are discarded.
  8. ↑ when first stage is recovered Long March 12B is considered a Medium-lift launch vehicle

See also

References

  1. ↑ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017). Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia. https://bigenc.ru/technology_and_technique/text/3492657. Retrieved 9 June 2021. 
  2. ↑ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 : "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"
  3. ↑ May, Sandra (27 August 2014). "What Is a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle?". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-heavy-lift-launch-vehicle-58.html. 
  4. ↑ Howell, Elizabeth (24 April 2018). "Proton Rocket: Russian Workhorse". https://www.space.com/40397-proton-rocket.html. 
  5. ↑ "Lockheed Martin Titan IV Rocket". https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/692874/lockheed-martin-titan-ivb-rocket/. 
  6. ↑ Marie, Olive (28 December 2019). "Launch of China Heavy Rocket a success; Continues its Roadmap to Moon & Beyond". https://www.techtimes.com/articles/246688/20191228/launch-of-china-heavy-rocket-a-success-continues-its-roadmap-to-moon-beyond.htm. 
  7. ↑ Wattles, Jackie (24 January 2021). "SpaceX launches 143 satellites on one rocket in record-setting mission". https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/24/tech/spacex-rideshare-transporter-mission-scn/index.html. 
  8. ↑ Wattles, Jackie (1 November 2022). "SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, world’s most powerful rocket, launches after three-year hiatus". https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/01/business/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-ussf-44-scn/index.html. 
  9. ↑ "SP-4221 The Space Shuttle Decision- Chapter 6: Economics and the Shuttle". NASA. https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4221/ch6.htm. 
  10. ↑ "ГКНПЦ имени М.В.Хруничева | Служебный модуль «Звезда»". http://www.khrunichev.ru/main.php?id=54. 
  11. ↑ "Proton". https://sma.nasa.gov/LaunchVehicle/proton.html. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Surplus Missile Motors (Report). United States Government Accountability Office. August 2017. GAO-17-609. https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/686613.pdf. Retrieved 27 November 2018.  Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ↑ "Proton Launch System Mission Planner's Guide – Section 2. LV Performance". International Launch Services. July 2009. http://www.ilslaunch.com/sites/default/files/pdf/PMPG%20Section%202.pdf. 
  14. ↑ Jones, Harry. "The Recent Large Reduction in Space Launch Cost". p. 1. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20200001093/downloads/20200001093.pdf. 
  15. ↑ Bray, Nancy (August 3, 2017). "Kennedy Space Center FAQ". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/information/shuttle_faq.html. 
  16. ↑ astronautix.com, Titan IV
  17. ↑ Carmona, Camps; José, Adriano (12 November 2019). "Nanosatellites and applications to commercial and scientific missions". Satellites Missions and Technologies for Geosciences. doi:10.5772/intechopen.90039. ISBN 978-1-78985-995-9. https://upcommons.upc.edu/handle/2117/185231. Retrieved 18 May 2021. 
  18. ↑ "Ariane 5 Users Manual, Issue 4, P. 39 (ISS orbit)". Arianespace. http://www.arianespace.com/site/documents/Ariane5_users_manual_Issue4.pdf. 
  19. ↑ "Lanzamiento del ATV-5 Georges Lemaître (Ariane 5 ES)". 30 July 2014. http://danielmarin.naukas.com/2014/07/31/lanzamiento-del-atv-5-georges-lemaitre-ariane-5-es. 
  20. ↑ "Ariane Flight VA255" (in en-US). https://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-va255/. 
  21. ↑ "Webb" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb. 
  22. ↑ "Arianespace aims high in Asia-Pacific". Flightglobal. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/arianespace-aims-high-in-asia-pacific-425928/. 
  23. ↑ "Delta IV Launch Services User's Guide, June 2013". United Launch Alliance. June 2013. pp. 2–10. http://www.ulalaunch.com/uploads/docs/Launch_Vehicles/Delta_IV_Users_Guide_June_2013.pdf. 
  24. ↑ "NASA Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 PRESS KIT". NASA. December 2014. pp. 12. http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/JSC_OrionEFT-1_PressKit_accessible.pdf. 
  25. ↑ "ULA CEO Tory Bruno". https://twitter.com/torybruno/status/963109303291854848. "Delta IV Heavy goes for about US$350M. That's current and future, after the retirement of both Delta IV Medium and Delta II." 
  26. ↑ "Spaceflight101, Angara-a5". http://spaceflight101.com/spacerockets/angara-a5/. 
  27. ↑ "The cargo was delivered to orbit: the launch of the "Angara" was carried out in the normal mode. (In Russian)". 14 December 2020. https://www.vesti.ru/article/2498571. 
  28. ↑ "MGM n°3". 24 December 2021. https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/4924. 
  29. ↑ @spacex. "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". https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1618598959840366593.  Missing or empty |date= (help)
  30. ↑ Stephen Clark (21 July 2018). "Record-setting commercial satellite awaits blastoff from Cape Canaveral". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/07/21/record-setting-commercial-satellite-awaits-blastoff-from-cape-canaveral/. 
  31. ↑ "Long March 5B launch clears path for Chinese space station project" (in en-US). 5 May 2020. https://spacenews.com/long-march-5b-launch-clears-path-for-chinese-space-station-project/. 
  32. ↑ "长五B火箭打赢空间站建造关键之战" (in zh-hans). 新华网. 2022-07-25. http://www.xinhuanet.com/tech/20220725/d90b85747717418791a8920ad2aff207/c.html. Retrieved 2022-07-26. 
  33. ↑ Andrew Jones (15 December 2023). "China launches large classified optical satellite towards geostationary orbit" (in en). SpaceNews. https://spacenews.com/china-launches-large-classified-optical-satellite-towards-geostationary-orbit/. Retrieved 13 March 2024. 
  34. ↑ "Historic journey from Chang'e 6 lifts off". 3 May 2024. https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465652/n6465653/c10522480/content.html. 
  35. ↑ "A top-secret Chinese spy satellite just launched on a supersized rocket". 16 December 2023. https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/12/a-top-secret-chinese-spy-satellite-just-launched-on-a-super-sized-rocket//. 
  36. ↑ "weibo". https://weibo.com/7566726783/4923001013276133. 
  37. ↑ "Capabilities & Services | SpaceX". http://www.spacex.com/about/capabilities. 
  38. ↑ "Arabsat 6A". https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/arabsat-6a.htm. 
  39. ↑ "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX. 2022. https://www.spacex.com/media/Capabilities%26Services.pdf. 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Musk, Elon [@elonmusk]. "Elon Musk on X: "This slide needs an update, but gives a rough idea o…". https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1960812698037518540.  Missing or empty |date= (help)
  41. ↑ Roulette, Joey (January 26, 2024). "Vulcan rocket's debut brings long-awaited challenge to SpaceX dominance". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/vulcan-rockets-debut-brings-long-awaited-challenge-spacex-dominance-2024-01-10/. 
  42. ↑ "Vulcan". https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/vulcan-centaur. 
  43. ↑ Foust, Jeff (8 March 2017). "Eutelsat first customer for Blue Origin's New Glenn". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/eutelsat-first-customer-for-blue-origins-new-glenn/. 
  44. ↑ Warren, Haygen (2026-04-18). "New Glenn launches on third mission, successfully reuses booster for the first time" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/04/ng-3-launch/. 
  45. ↑ Warren, Haygen (2025-11-14). "Blue Origin launches ESCAPADE on New Glenn, successfully lands first stage booster" (in en-US). https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/11/ng-2-escapade-launch/. 
  46. ↑ Sheetz, Michael (5 April 2022). "Amazon signs massive rocket deal with 3 firms, including Bezos' Blue Origin, to launch internet satellites". https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/04/05/amazon-signs-rocket-deal-with-blue-origin-arianespace-ula-for-project-kuiper-internet-satellites.html. 
  47. ↑ Bogaisky, Jeremy. "With New Glenn Launch, Bezos Looks To Break Musk's Stranglehold On Space" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2025/01/11/new-glenn-bezos-blue-origin-musk-spacex/. 
  48. ↑ Lagier, Roland (March 2018). "Ariane 6 User's Manual Issue 1 Revision 0". Arianespace. p. 46. http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Mua-6_Issue-1_Revision-0_March-2018.pdf. 
  49. ↑ Petit, Ariane (2026-02-12). "Arianespace successfully launches 32 Amazon Leo satellites with the first Ariane 64". https://press.ariane.group/?p=39497. 
  50. ↑ Enthusiast, Space (2024-10-18). "ESA Ariane 6 vs SpaceX Starship: Will There Be a Leadership Race?" (in en-US). https://orbitaltoday.com/2024/10/18/ariane-6-vs-starship-is-there-a-competition/. 
  51. ↑ "The Miura Next heavy-lift rocket and the manned capsule Lince: PLD Space's ambitious space program for the next twenty years" (in es). 7 October 2024. https://danielmarin.naukas.com/2024/10/07/el-cohete-pesado-miura-next-y-la-capsula-tripulada-lince-el-ambicioso-programa-espacial-de-pld-space-para-los-proximos-veinte-anos/. 



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