A medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is a
rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
launch vehicle
A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...
that is capable of lifting between by
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
classification or between by Russian classification
of
payload
Payload is the object or the entity which is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of ...
into
low Earth orbit
A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...
(LEO).
[NASA Space Technology Roadmaps - Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11](_blank)
"Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads" An MLV is between
small-lift launch vehicle
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting or less (by NASA classification) or under (by Roscosmos classification) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of med ...
s and
heavy-lift launch vehicle
A heavy-lift launch vehicle, HLV or HLLV, is an orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting between
(by NASA classification) or between (by Russian classification) into low Earth orbit (LEO).50t payloads" , operational heavy-lift launch vehicl ...
s.
Rated launch vehicles
Operational
Under development
Retired
Gallery
File:Atlas-B ICBM.jpg, Launch of an Atlas B intercontinental ballistic missile
File:Launch of Friendship 7 - GPN-2000-000686.jpg, Launch of the first American crewed orbital space flight Atlas and Friendship 7
Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) was the first crewed American orbital spaceflight, which took place on February 20, 1962. Piloted by astronaut John Glenn and operated by NASA as part of Project Mercury, it was the fifth human spaceflight, preceded by Sovi ...
File:SpX CRS-2 launch - further - cropped.jpg, A Falcon 9 v1.0 launches with an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft
American private space transportation company SpaceX has developed and produced several spacecraft named Dragon. The first family member, now referred to as Dragon 1, flew 23 cargo missions to the ISS between 2010 and 2020 before being retired ...
, 2012
File:SpaceX factory Falcon 9 booster tank.jpg, Falcon 9 booster tank at the SpaceX factory, 2008
File:02 Launch of GSLV Mk III D2 with GSAT-29 from Second Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (SDSC SHAR).jpg, Launch of GSLV Mk lll D2 with GSAT-29 from SHAR, India.
See also
*
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are used to ...
, suborbital launch vehicle
*
List of orbital launch systems
This is a list of conventional orbital launch systems. This is composed of launch vehicles, and other conventional systems, used to place satellites into orbit.
Argentina
*ORBIT II – ''Retired''
* TRONADOR – ''Under Development''
Australia
...
*
Small-lift launch vehicle
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting or less (by NASA classification) or under (by Roscosmos classification) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of med ...
, capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit
*
Heavy lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg to low Earth orbit. (Includes
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
)
*
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
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or in development as of 2022; a second list includes all retired roc ...
*
Comparison of orbital rocket engines
*
Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
Comparison or comparing is the act of evaluating two or more things by determining the relevant, comparable characteristics of each thing, and then determining which characteristics of each are similar to the other, which are different, and t ...
*
Rocket
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...
References
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.
Space launch vehicles