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Heavy-lift launch vehicle

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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 is an orbital launch vehicle capable of generating a large amount of lift to reach its intended orbit. Heavy-lift launch vehicles generally are 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] As of 2024, operational heavy-lift launch vehicles include the Long March 5 and the Proton-M.[3]

In addition, the Angara A5, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust, the Falcon Heavy, the Vulcan Centaur, Ariane 6, and New Glenn are designed to provide heavy-lift capabilities in at least some configurations but have not yet been proven to carry a 20-tonne payload into LEO. Several other heavy-lift rockets are in development. An HLV is between medium-lift launch vehicles and super heavy-lift launch vehicles.

Rated launch vehicles

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Operational

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Heaviest launch Launches[a] First flight
...to LEO or MEO ...to GTO or GSO ...to HEO and beyond
Long March 5/5B  China CALT 25,000[4] 23,200[5] 14,000[6] 8,350 to Moon[7] 4 2016
Proton-M  Russia Khrunichev 23,000[8] 23,200[9] 6,740[10] 3,755 to Mars[11] 1 2001
Angara A5  Russia Khrunichev
KBKhA 		24,500[12][b] — 2,400[13] — 0 2014
Falcon Heavy[c]  United States SpaceX 38,000–45,000[d]
[14] 		3,700[e] 6,465[15][f] 1,300 to Mars[16] 0 2018
Vulcan Centaur  United States ULA 25,000[17] — — 1,283 to Moon[18] 0 2024

Under development

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Expected flight
New Glenn[19]  United States Blue Origin 45,000[20] 2024[21]
Ariane 6 (A64)  France
 Europe[g] 		ArianeGroup 21,650[22] 2024[23][24]
HLV  India ISRO 20,000 TBD
SHLV  India ISRO 41,300[25] TBD
Zhuque-3  China LandSpace 21,000[26] 2025
Gravity-2  China Orienspace 25,600[27] 2025
Terran R  United States Relativity Space 33,500 2026[28]
Angara-A5V  Russia Khrunichev, Polyot 38,000 2027
H3 Heavy  Japan Mitsubishi 28,300[29] 2030

Retired

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Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to LEO (kg) Heaviest launch Launches First flight Last Flight
...to LEO or MEO ...to GTO or GSO ...to HEO and beyond
Delta IV Heavy  United States ULA 28,790[30] 21,000[31][h] Classified[i] 685 to heliocentric orbit 1 public (up to 4 classified) 2004 2024
Saturn IB  United States Chrysler & Douglas 21,000 20,847 — — 2 1966 1975
Proton-K  Soviet Union
 Russia 		Khrunichev 19,760[32] 22,776 4,723 6,220 4[33] 1967 2012
Space Shuttle  United States USA 24,400[j][34] 22,753 — — 11 1981 2011
Titan IV  United States Lockheed Martin 21,680[35] Classified[i][k] Classified[i] 5,712 to Saturn up to 7 (classified) 1989 2005
Ariane 5 ECA/ES  France
 Europe[l] 		Ariane Group 21,000[37] 20,293[38] 11,210[39] 6,161.4 to Sun-Earth L2[40] 4 2002 2023

Notes

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  1. ^ Only counting launches between 20,000 and 50,000 kg.
  2. ^ from Vostochny cosmodrome
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ Depends on whether the center booster is recovered or not
  5. ^ The 600 kg DSX was boosted to Medium Earth Orbit
  6. ^ to 90,000-km supersynchronous GTO
  7. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based in Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.
  8. ^ The officially reported mass of 21,000 kg includes the Launch Abort System (LAS) which did not reach orbit, but excludes the residual mass of the upper stage, which did reach orbit, likely offsetting the mass of the LAS.
  9. ^ a b c Actual payloads flown are classified under the NRO launch program.
  10. ^ excluding orbiter weight
  11. ^ KH-11 launches had 19,600 kg[36]
  12. ^ The lead manufacturer is from France, but the rocket has significant contributions from companies based across Europe.

See also

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References

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  2. ^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine: "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. Archived from the original on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
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