User:Alpacaaviator/sandbox
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
| Preceded by | Small-lift launch vehicle |
| Succeeded by | Heavy-lift launch vehicle |
| Built | Since 1958 |
| General characteristics | |
| Capacity |
|
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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] An MLV is between a small-lift launch vehicle and a heavy-lift launch vehicle. Medium-lift vehicles comprise the majority of orbital launches as of 2024[update], with both the Soyuz and Falcon 9 having launched several hundred times.
History
Soviet Union and Russia
The Soviet R-7 family was based off of the world's first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Sputnik was a small-lift derivative that carried the first satellite into orbit, and the R-7 design quickly grew in capacity, with Luna launching in 1958 as the first medium-lift launch vehicle. The 1960s saw the R-7 series continue to develop, with Vostok 1 carrying the first human into space, Voskhod carrying multiple crew members, and the first Soyuz. As of 2024[update], the R-7 family has launched more times than any other family of orbital rockets.[3] Soyuz variants have launched over 1,100 times and are still operational.
United States
The first US medium-lift vehicle was a purpose-built orbital launch vehicle, the Saturn I. Saturn I first launched in 1961, and the Saturn family would eventually grow into the heavy-lift Saturn IB and the super-heavy lift Saturn V.
ICBM-derived launch vehicles for the US include the Atlas, Titan, and Delta families. Atlas-Centaur launched in 1962 and marked the first use of a Centaur upper stage. As of 2024[update], the derivative Atlas V is still operational; Centaur has seen extensive use on multiple vehicles and is operational on the Atlas V and Vulcan vehicles. Titan II GLV carried the Gemini spacecraft which put the first American into orbit. The family was further developed into Titan III which utilized solid rocket boosters (SRBs), and in 1989, the heavy-lift Titan IV. Medium-lift versions of the Delta family include Delta II which was utilized up to nine SRBs, and the Delta IV which could use optional SRBs or three first-stage cores as a heavy variant.
SpaceX introduced the Falcon 9 in 2010, designed to be a partially reusable launch vehicle. Falcon 9 completed the first propulsive landing of an orbital rocket stage in 2015, after which SpaceX began regularly reusing first stages. In 2022, Falcon 9 broke the record of 47 launches in one year held by Soyuz-U, and Falcon 9 launched 91 times in 2023.[4]
Other
China's Long March family was introduced in the 1970s. Japan launched the H-I in 1986 and the H-II in 1994. Europe launched the Ariane 4 over 100 times from 1988-2003 and developed the Ariane 5 and Ariane 6. India's GSLV launched from 2001-2010.
- ^ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017). Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ 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"
- ^ Siddiqi, Asif. "Soviet/Russian Launch Vehicles". U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Most launches in a single year (single rocket model)". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 21 December 2024.