Comparison of orbital launchers families

This page contains a list of orbital launchers' families. To see the long complete list of launch systems, see Comparison of orbital launch systems.

Description

note: only includes orbital launches (flights launched with the intention of reaching orbit). Suborbital tests launches are not included in this listing.

Same cores are grouped together (like Ariane 1, 2 & 3, but not V).

List of launchers families

Legend
  Active
  In development
  Retired
  Has flown but new version in dev.
Family Country Manufac. Payload (kg) Cost (US$,
millions)
Launches reaching… Status Date of flight Refs Notes
LEO GTO TLI Total Space Any orbit Target orbit First Last
Angara 1.2  Russia Khrunichev 3,800 -- -- 25 1 1 -- -- Active 2014 -- [1][2][3] As of 2014, only launch was suborbital[4]
Angara
A3, A5
 Russia Khrunichev 14,600 to
35000
3,600 to
12500
-- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2014 -- [1][5] proposed future versions of Angara family
Antares  USA Orbital Sciences 6,000 -- -- -- 5 4 4 Active 2013 -- [6][7] Cygnus launcher
Ariane 1-2-3  Europe Aérospatiale -- 2,650 -- -- 28 Retired 1979 1989 [8][9]
Ariane 4  Europe Aérospatiale 7,000 4,720 -- -- 116 -- -- Retired 1988 2003 [9] Var: 2P,2L,4P,4L,2P2L
Ariane 5  Europe Airbus 21,000 9,600 -- 220 76 74 74 72 Active 1996 -- [10][11] Var: ECA,ES,G,G+,GS. ME and ES Galileo in dev.
Ariane 6  Europe Airbus Safran -- 10,500 -- 115 -- -- -- -- Devel. 2020 -- Var: Ariane 62 & Ariane 64.
ASLV  India ISRO 150 -- -- -- 4 -- -- Retired 1987 1994 [12]
Athena I & II  USA Lockheed ATK 2,065 -- 295 -- 7 -- -- Devel. 1995 2001 [13] Launch Lunar Prospector[14]
Ic & IIc currently in dev.
Atlas A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Atlas I
 USA Lockheed 5,900 2,340 -- -- 514 -- -- Retired 1957 1997 [15][16][17][18] Launch Mercury.
Atlas or Centaur upper stage.
Atlas II  USA Lockheed 8,618 3,833 -- -- 63 63 63 Retired 1991 2004 [19][20][21]
Atlas III  USA Lockheed 10,759 4,609 -- -- 6 6 6 Retired 2003 2005 [22][23] variants: IIIA, IIIB
Atlas V  USA ULA 18,850 8,900 2,807 -- 30 30 Active 2002 [24][25] Launched Juno & New Horizons
Black Arrow  UK RAE Westland 132 -- -- -- 4 3 Retired 1969 1971 [26]
Delta  USA Douglas 3,848 1,312 -- -- 186 -- -- Retired 1960 1989 [27][28] Launched Pioneer & Explorer probes.
Variants : A, B, C, D, E, G, J, L, M, N, 300, 900, 1X00, 4X00, 2X00, 3X00, 5X00
Delta II  USA ULA 6,000 2,171 1,508 51 151 Active 1989[27] -- [27][29][30] Launched Mars probes MGS to Phoenix
Variants : 6000, 7000 and Heavy.
Delta III  USA Boeing 8,290 3,810 -- -- 3 2 2 Retired 1998 2000 [31][32]
Delta IV  USA ULA 23,040 13,130 9,000 -- 18 18 Active 2002 -- [33] Variants : S, M and Heavy.
Diamant  France SEREB -- -- -- -- -- Retired 1965 1975
Dnepr  Ukraine Russia Yuzhmash 3,600 -- 750 14 17 Active 1999 -- [34][35]
Energia  USSR NPO Energia 100,000 240 2 2 1 1 Retired 1987 1988 [36] 1 partial failure with Polyus spacecraft, 1 successful flight with Buran spacecraft.
Epsilon  Japan IHI Corporation 1,200 -- -- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2013 -- [37][38]
Falcon 1 & 1e  USA SpaceX 420[39] -- -- 7.9[39] 5[40] 4[39] 2[39] 2[40] Retired[39] 2006 2009 v1 superseded by 1e version
Falcon 9
v1.0, v1.1, FT
 USA SpaceX 22,800 8,300 -- 61.2 28*Wiki 27 27 27 Active 2010 -- [41][42] upgrade to version 1.1 in 2013; upgrade to version FT in 2015
Launcher of Dragon capsule
* notes: One flight put primary but not secondary payload into correct orbit,[43] one rocket and payload were destroyed before launch in preparation for static fire[44] and thus is not counted
Falcon Heavy  USA SpaceX 54,400 22,200 -- 80-125 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [45][46] Demo expected for 2016
GSLV Mk.I & II  India ISRO 5,000 2,500 -- -- 8 6 5 3 Active 2001 -- [47][48][49]
GSLV Mk.III (LVM3)  India ISRO 8,000 4,000 -- -- 1 1 0 -- Devel. 2014 2014 [50] First Experimental Flight (suborbital) with passive cryogenic upper stage successful [51]
H-I  Japan Mitsubishi 3,200 -- -- 9 9 Retired 1986 1992 [52] license-built version of the Thor-ELT
H-II, IIA & IIB  Japan Mitsubishi 19,000 8,000 -- -- 28 26 Active 1994 -- [53] Var:. A202,A2022,A2024,A204,B
Haas  Romania ARCA 400 -- -- 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [54] Launch from balloon
Interplanetary Transport System  USA SpaceX 300,000 (reusable)

550,000 (expendable)

-- -- 430 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [55][56] Expected in the mid-2020s
J-I  Japan IHI Corporation Nissan Motors 880 -- -- -- 1 Retired 1996 1996 Partial demo flight only
Kosmos  USSR Yuzhnoye Polyot 1,500 -- -- 12 610 -- -- 559 Retired 1967 2010 [11][57][58] Var: 1, 3, 3M
Kaituozhe-1  China CALT -- -- -- Retired 2002 2003
Lambda 4S  Japan Nissan ISAS -- -- -- Retired 1966 1970
Long March 1  China CALT 740 440 -- -- 6 -- -- Retired 1970 2002 [59][60][61] Var: 1, 1D
Long March 2-3-4  China CALT 12,000 5,500 3,300 -- 167 158 -- -- Active 1971 -- [62] Ascends of ICBMs DF-5
Var: 2A,2C,2D,2E,2F,3,3A,3B,3C,4,4B
2F Launcher of Shenzhou
Long March 5  China CALT 25,000 14,000 8,000 -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2016 -- [63][64] Var: 200,320,504,522,540
Long March 6  China CALT 1,500 -- -- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2015 -- [65]
Long March 7  China CALT 20,000 -- -- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2016 -- [66]
Minotaur I  USA Orbital Sciences 580 -- -- -- 11 11 11 11 Active 2000 -- [67][68] Derived from the Minuteman II
Minotaur IV & V  USA Orbital Sciences 1,735 640 447 50 4 4 4 4 Active 2010 -- [67][69] Also 2 suborbital launches (HTV-2a). Variants: IV, IV Lite, IV HAPS, V. Derived from Peacekeeper missile
Mu 1-3-4  Japan Nissan Motor IHI 770 -- -- -- 27 -- -- Retired 1966 1995 [70] Var: 1, 3D, 4S, 3C, 3H, 3S, 3SII
Mu 5  Japan Nissan Motor IHI 1,800 -- -- -- Retired 1997 2006 Var: M-V, M-V KM
N1  USSR NPO Energia 90,000 -- 23,500 -- 4 0 0 0 Retired 1969 1972 [71] Designed for Soviet Manned Lunar Mission
N-I & II  Japan Mitsubishi 2,000 730 -- -- 15 -- -- Retired 1975 1987 [72] Derived from the American Delta rocket
Naro  South Korea Khrunichev KARI 100 -- -- -- 3 2 1 1 Active 2009 -- [73]
Pegasus  USA Orbital Sciences 450 -- -- -- 40 -- -- Active 1990 -- [74]
Proton UR-500 Proton  USSR
 Russia
Khrunichev 23,000 6,920 5,680 -- 399 353 -- Active 1965 -- [75][76] Var: M, K
PSLV  India ISRO 3,800 1,300 -- -- 35 35 35 34 Active 1993 [77][78] Var: CA, XL, HP, 3S
Launched moon probe Chandrayaan I, Mars probe Mangalyaan I
UR-100N Rokot Strela  Russia Eurockot Khrunichev 2,100 -- -- -- 25 23 23 Active 1994 -- [79][80][81][82] 23 launches of Rockot; 2 launches of Strela
Safir  Iran ISA 50 -- -- -- 4 4 Active 2007 -- [83]
Saturn I & IB  USA Chrysler Douglas 18,600 -- -- 19 13 13 13 13 Retired 1961 1975 [84][85] Saturn 1 family also included 6 suborbital test launches
Saturn V  USA Boeing North American Douglas 118,000 -- 47,000 185 13 13 13 Retired 1967 1973 [84][86][87] Var: Apollo, Skylab
Scout  USA US Air Force NASA 210 -- -- -- 125 104 -- -- Retired 1960 1994 [88] Var: X1, X2, A, D, G
Shavit  Israel IAI 225 -- -- 15 8 -- -- Active 1988 -- [89] Var: Shavit, -1, -2
R-29 Shtil Volna  Russia Makeyev 430 -- -- -- 8 -- -- Active 1995 2006 [90] Var: Vysota, Volna, Shtil, 2.1, 2R, 3
R-7 Semyorka Soyuz  USSR
 Russia
RSC Energia TsSKB-Progress 5,500 2,400 1,200 -- 1,854 -- -- Active 1957 -- [91] Var: Sputnik, Luna, Vostok-L, Vostok-K, Voskhod, Molniya, Molniya-L, Molniya-M, Polyot, Soyuz, Soyuz-L, Soyuz-M, Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG, Soyuz-2
Simorgh  Iran ISA 350 -- -- -- 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [92]
SLS  USA Alliant Lockheed 130,000 -- -- -- 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [93] Expected 2017
SLV  India ISRO 40 -- -- -- 4 3 3 2 Retired 1979 1983 [94] Launched Rohini satellite series
STS
Space Shuttle
 USA Alliant Martin Marietta Rockwell 24,400 3,810 -- 450 135 134 134 133 Retired 1981 2011 [95] Orbiter mass: 68585 kg.
Start-1  Russia MITT 532 -- -- -- 7 6 Active 1993 2006 [96]
Taurus  USA Orbital Sciences 1,450 -- -- -- 9 9 Active 1989 -- [97] Var:2110, 3110, 3210
Thor  USA Douglas 1,270 -- 38 -- 357 -- -- Retired 1957 1980 [28] Launched Pioneer & Explorer probes
Titan I-II-III-IV  USA Martin Marietta 21,900 5,773 8,600 350 369 -- -- Retired 1959 2005 [98][99] Var: I, II, IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, IIID, IIIE, 34D, IVA, IVB
Gemini launcher
Tsyklon R-36 Tsyklon  USSR
 Ukraine
Yuzhmash 4,100 -- -- -- 259 -- -- Active 1967 2009 [100] Var: 1, 2, 3. Tsyklon 4 in dev.
Unified Launch Vehicle  India ISRO 15,000 6,200 -- -- 0 -- -- -- Devel. -- -- [101] Var: 6S12, 2S60, 2S138, 2S200
Unha  North Korea KCST 100 -- -- -- 3 1 1 ? Active 2006 -- [102] Variants: Paektusan based on Taepodong-1 missile; Unha based on TaepoDong-2 missile.
Vanguard  USA Martin 23 -- -- -- 12 -- 3 Retired 1957 1959 [103]
Vega  Europe ESA ASI Avio 2,300 -- -- 23 5 5 5 5 Active 2012 -- [104]
VLS-1  Brazil CTA 380 -- -- -- 2 0 0 Active 1997 2003 [105] Var in dev: Alfa, VLM
Zenit  USSR
 Ukraine
 Russia
Yuzhnoye 13,740 6,160 4,098 -- 82 71 69 Active 1985 -- [106] Var: 2, 2M, 2SLB, 3SL, 3SLB, 3SLBF

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Angara launchers family on manufacturer website". Khrunichev.ru. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  2. The market for launching small satellite in Russia...
  3. "Angara, Russia's brand-new launch vehicle, is successfully launched from Plesetsk". Khrunichev. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  4. Peter B. de Selding, "Russia’s Angara 1.2 Rocket Succeeds in Inaugural Flight, Khrunichev Says", Space News, Jul. 9, 2014 (accessed 22 Sept 2014)
  5. http://www.russianspaceweb.com/angara5_flight1.html Angara-5 takes to the sky
  6. Perfs and launches of Antares, SkyRocket.de
  7. Antares Mission History
  8. Ariane 1-2-3 family, ESA
  9. 1 2 List of perfs and launches of Ariane 1-4, SkyRocket.de
  10. list of perfs and launches of Ariane 5, SkyRocket.de
  11. 1 2 FAA Semi- Annual Launch Report
  12. ASLV page, Astronautix
  13. "Athena-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  14. "Lunar Prospector". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  15. Perfs and Launches of Atlas G-Centaur, SkyRocket.de
  16. Perfs and Launches of Atlas family, SkyRocket.de
  17. "Atlas I". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  18. Perfs and Launches of Atlas I, SkyRocket.de
  19. Spaceflight Now, Atlas IIAS (accessed 24 Sept 2014)
  20. Perfs and Launches of Atlas II AS, SkyRocket.de
  21. Tariq Malik "Final Atlas 2 Rocket Orbits Classified U.S. Satellite", Space News, August 31, 2004 (Accessed 24 Sept 2014)
  22. Space Launch Report: Atlas III Data Sheet (accessed 24 Sept. 2014)
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  24. "Atlas V Product Page". United Launch Alliance. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  25. "LRO/LCROSS Press Kit" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
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  27. 1 2 3 Perfs and launch of Thor family, SkyRocket.de
  28. 1 2 Thor
  29. Full perfs of Delta Family, SkyRocket.de Archived 2011-08-02 at WebCite
  30. Perfs and launches of Delta 7925h, SkyRocket.de
  31. Delta 3 on Encyclopedia Astronautica, Astronautix
  32. "Delta III Data Sheet". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  33. Delta IV Heavy Delta IV
  34. "Dnepr SLS User's Guide" (PDF). ISC Kosmotras. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  35. Dnepr
  36. Russian Space Web, Energia page. Accessed 21 September 2010
  37. JAXA pages: Epsilon Design E, and Result E
  38. JAXA, Epsilon E press package
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  41. "SpaceX Product Page". SpaceX. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  42. "Falcon-9 Family". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  43. de Selding, Peter. "Satellite Left Stranded by SpaceX Rocket Falls From Space". Space.com. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  44. "SpaceX on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-09-01.
  45. Clark, Stephen (2011-04-05). "SpaceX enters the realm of heavy-lift rocketry". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  46. "Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - Falcon Heavy". SpaceX. 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  47. "GSLV Mk.1 (2)". Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  48. ISRO GSLV
  49. "GSLV". Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  50. "GSLV Mark III". Indian Space Research Organisation. 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  51. "First Experimental Flight of GSLV Mk-III Successful". Indian Space Research Organisation. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  52. "H-1". Encyclopedia Astronautica.
  53. "H-IIB Launch Vehicle". Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
  54. "Haas Orbital Rocket Launcher" (PDF). Aeronautics and Cosmonautics Romanian Association. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
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  58. 165 launches / 21 failures, List of Kosmos /2 launches, of Delta Family, SkyRocket.de, 445 launches / 30 failures, List of Kosmos 1/3, SkyRocket.de
  59. CZ-1D page on Encyclopedia Astronautica
  60. CZ-1
  61. List of retired launchers, Encyclopedia Astronautica
  62. Full perfs and launches of Long-March DF-5 family, SkyRocket.de
  63. "Long March 5 Will Have World's Second Largest Carrying Capacity". Space Daily. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  64. Space.com staff (30 July 2012). "China Tests Powerful Rocket Engine for New Booster". Space.com. The more capable Long March 5 rocket is expected to help the country achieve its goal of constructing a space station in orbit by the year 2020, as well as play a key role in China's future space exploration aims beyond low-Earth orbit. The rocket's maiden launch is expected to occur in 2014
  65. CZ-6
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  72. "N-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  73. Bergin, Chris (30 January 2013). "South Korea launch STSAT-2C via KSLV-1". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  74. "Pegasus User's Guide" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  75. "Proton Launch System Mission Planner's Guide. Section 2. LV Performance" (PDF). International Launch Services.
  76. "Soyuz 7K-L1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Circumlunar probe launched by Proton-K/D.
  77. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
  78. PSLV Details, ISRO
  79. "Rockot User's Guide, Chapter 3: General Performance Capabilities (5.0)" (PDF). Eurockot Launch Services. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  80. Perfs and Launches of Rockot family, SkyRocket.de
  81. Perfs and Launches of Strela family, SkyRocket.de
  82. Russian Strela Launches Kondor Satellite (retrieved 24 Sept 2014)
  83. Perfs and Launches of Safir family, SkyRocket.de
  84. 1 2 NASA, Saturn launch vehicles (PDF)
  85. Perfs and launches of Saturn I family, SkyRocket.de
  86. Perfs and launches of Saturn V family, SkyRocket.de
  87. The Space Shuttle Decision- Chapter 6: ECONOMICS AND THE SHUTTLE
  88. Scout
  89. Shavit page on Encyclopedia Astronautica
  90. Perfs and launches of Shtil Volna, SkyRocket.de
  91. Perfs and launches of R7 family, SkyRocket.de
  92. Perfs and launches of Simorgh, SkyRocket.de
  93. SLS fact sheet, PDF, Nasa website
  94. Claude Lafleur, SLV / Indian Launch Vehicle, Spacecraft Encyclopedia (accessed Sept 25 2014)
  95. "NASA – Space Shuttle and International Space Station". Nasa.gov. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  96. List of launches of Start-1, SkyRocket.de
  97. Perfs and launches of Taurus, SkyRocket.de
  98. List of launches of all Titan, SkyRocket.de
  99. Perfs and launches of Titan IV family, SkyRocket.de
  100. List of launches of tsiklon, SkyRocket.de
  101. http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2014/10/isros-unified-launch-vehicle-ulv.html
  102. "North Korea Successfully Launches Satellite: Reports", SPACE.com, December 12, 2012 (accessed 24 Sept. 2014)
  103. Vanguard Page on Encyclopedia Astronautica. Vanguard 3 satellite was 23 kg
  104. Space Launch Report: New Launchers - ESA VEGA
  105. Perfs and launches of VLS-1, SkyRocket.de
  106. Perfs and launches of Zenit family, SkyRocket.de
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