Medium-lift launch vehicle

• A medium-lift launch vehicle - MLV a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) of payload into Low Earth orbit - LEO.^[1]

Medium-lift launch vehicles

Launch of an Atlas B intercontinental ballistic missile

Launch of the first American manned orbital space flight Atlas and Friendship 7

A Falcon 9 v1.0 launches with an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft, 2012

Falcon 9 booster tank at the SpaceX factory, 2008

Currently in operation

• Tsyklon R-36 Tsyklon Yuzhmash 1967 to Present
• UR-100N Rokot Strela Eurockot Khrunichev 1994 to present
• Vega ESA and ASI Avio 2012 to present
• Zenit Yuzhnoye 1985 to present
• Soyuz-FG 2001 to present
• Soyuz-2 2004 to present
• Soyuz-U 1973 to Present, Most launches currently at 771.
• R-7 Semyorka Soyuz RSC Energia TsSKB-Progress 1957 to Present
• PSLV ISRO 1993 to Present
• H-II, IIA & IIB Mitsubishi 1994 - present
• Long March 2-3-4 China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology 1971 to Present
• GSLV Mk.I & II ISRO 2001 to Present
• Dnepr Yuzhmash 1999 to present
• Falcon 9 full thrust SpaceX 2015 to Present (reuseable configuration)^[2][3]
• GSLV Mk.III (LVM3) ISRO 2014
• Delta II United Launch Alliance 1989 to present
• Atlas V United Launch Alliance 2002 to Present
• Antares Orbital Sciences 2013 to Present

Retired

• Titan II GLV 1964 to 1966
• Titan IIIC 1965 to 1982
• Titan IIID 1971 to 1982
• Titan IIIE Martin Marietta 1974 to 1977
• Soyuz original 1966 to 1975
• Soyuz-L 1970 to 1971
• Soyuz-M 1971 to 1976
• Soyuz-U2 1982 to 1995
• SLV ISRO 1979 to 1983
• Saturn I Chrysler & Douglas 1961 to 1975 (Med and heavy lift)
• N-I & II Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1975 to 1987 ^[4]
• Proton-K Khrunichev 1965 to 2012, 311 launches
• H-I Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1986 to 1992
• Falcon 9 v1.0 SpaceX 2010 to 2013
• Falcon 9 v1.1 SpaceX 2013 to 2016
• Delta III Boeing 1998 to 2000
• Delta Douglas 1960 to 1989
• Ariane 4 Aérospatiale 1988 to 2003
• Athena I & II Lockheed ATK 1995 to 2001
• Atlas A-B-C-D-E-F-G Atlas I Lockheed 1957 to 1997 (Launched Mercury)
• Atlas-Centaur Lockheed 1962 to 1983, 148 Launches
• Atlas II Lockheed 1991 to 2004
• Atlas III Lockheed 2003 to 2005

In development

• Unified Launch Vehicle Indian Space Research Organisation
• Long March 7
• Super Haas ARCA Space Corporation
• Angara 1.2 Khrunichev 2014 to Present ^[5][6][7]

See also

• Sounding rocket non orbiting
• Small-lift launch vehicle capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
• Heavy lift launch vehicle capable of lifting between 20,000 to 50,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
• Super Heavy lift launch vehicles capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) of payload into LEO.
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Comparison of orbital rocket engines
• Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
• Rocket
• Spacecraft propulsion

References

1. 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"
2. "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
3. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/726559990480150528
4. "N-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
5. "Angara launchers family on manufacturer website". Khrunichev.ru. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
6. The market for launching small satellite in Russia...
7. "Angara, Russia’s brand-new launch vehicle, is successfully launched from Plesetsk". Khrunichev. Retrieved 2014-09-21.

Further reading

• Mallove, Eugene F. and Matloff, Gregory L. The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel, Wiley. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.