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A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile -shaped multistage rocket , but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle .
All launch vehicle propulsion systems employed to date have been chemical rockets falling into one of three main categories: Solid-propellant rockets or solid-fuel rockets have a motor that uses solid propellants , typically a mix of powdered fuel and oxidizer held together by a polymer binder and molded into the shape of a hollow cylinder.
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]
Target orbit (without damage to the payload) Status: Actual status of launcher (retired, development, active) Date of flight First: Year of first flight of first family member; Last (if applicable): Year of Last flight (for vehicles retired from service) Refs: citations; Same cores are grouped together (like Ariane 1, 2 & 3, but not V).
A super heavy-lift launch vehicle is a rocket that can lift to low Earth orbit a "super heavy payload", which is defined as more than 50 metric tons (110,000 lb) [1] [2] by the United States and as more than 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) by Russia. [3]
Concepts for a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle using three Falcon 1 core boosters, with an approximate payload-to-LEO capacity of two tons, [13] were initially discussed as early as 2003. [14] The concept for three core booster stages of the company's as-yet-unflown Falcon 9 was referred to in 2005 as the Falcon 9 Heavy. [15]
A medium-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] of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). [2]
Falcon Heavy (FH) is a super heavy lift space launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. The Falcon Heavy is a variant of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle comprising three Falcon 9 first stages: a reinforced center core, and two additional side boosters. All three boosters are capable of being recovered and reused, although most flights use ...