Comparison of orbital launch systems

This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all current and future individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or have attempted an orbital flight attempt as of 2026; a second list includes all upcoming rockets. For the simple list of all conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems, see: Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems.

Background Spacecraft propulsionThere are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the back/rear of the vehicle at very high speed through a supersonic de Laval nozzle. This sort of engine is called a rocket engine. is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. Orbital launch systems are rockets and other systems capable of placing payloads into or beyond Earth orbit. 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. The cylinder is ignited from the inside and burns radially outward, with the resulting expanding gases and aerosols escaping out via the nozzle.The first medieval rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese, Indians, Mongols and Arabs, in warfare as early as the 13th century. Liquid-propellant rockets have a motor that feeds liquid propellant(s) into a combustion chamber. Most liquid engines use a bipropellant, consisting of two liquid propellants (fuel and oxidizer) which are stored and handled separately before being mixed and burned inside the combustion chamber. Hybrid-propellant rockets use a combination of solid and liquid propellant, typically involving a liquid oxidizer being pumped through a hollow cylinder of solid fuel.

All current spacecraft use conventional chemical rockets (solid-fuel or liquid bipropellant) for launch, though someSuch as the Pegasus rocket and SpaceShipOne. have used air-breathing engines on their first stage.Most satellites have simple reliable chemical thrusters (often monopropellant rockets) or resistojet rockets for orbital station-keeping and some use momentum wheels for attitude control. Soviet bloc satellites have used electric propulsion for decades, and newer Western geo-orbiting spacecraft are starting to use them for north–south stationkeeping and orbit raising. Interplanetary vehicles mostly use chemical rockets as well, although a few have used ion thrusters and Hall effect thrusters (two different types of electric propulsion) to great success.

Current rockets Orbits legend:

LEO, low Earth orbit SSO or SSPO, near-polar Sun-synchronous orbit polar, polar orbit MEO, medium Earth orbit GTO, geostationary transfer orbit GEO, geostationary orbit (direct injection) HEO, high Earth orbit HCO, heliocentric orbit TLI, trans-lunar injection TMI, trans-Mars injection

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Height Maximum payload mass(kg) Reusable / Expendable Orbitallaunchesincludingfailures Launch site(s) Dates of flight LEO GTO Other First LatestAngara A5 / Briz-MKhrunichev55.4 mN/A to GEOExpendable3 Plesetsk, Vostochny20142025Angara-1.2Khrunichev42.2 m(200 km)N/A to SSOExpendable7 Plesetsk, Vostochny20222026Ariane 6 A62ArianeGroup63 m to SSO7,000 to polar3,300 to HEO2,600 to HCO3,500 to TLIExpendable6 CSG20242026Ariane 6 A64ArianeGroup63 m to SSO15,400 to polar5,000 to GEO8,000 to HEO6,900 to HCO8,600 to TLIExpendable2 CSG20262026Ariane 6 A64 (Block 2)ArianeGroup63 mN/AN/AExpendable1 CSG20262026Atlas V N22ULA52.4 m(to ISS)N/AN/AExpendable3 CCSFS20192024Ceres-1 (3)Galactic Energy20 mN/A to SSOExpendable15 JSLC20222025Ceres-1SGalactic Energy20 mN/A to SSOExpendable6 OMSP20232026Ceres-2Galactic EnergyN/A(500 km)N/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable1 JSLC20262026Chollima-1NADA36.2 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable3 Sohae20232023ElectronRocket Lab18 mN/A to SSOExpendable89 Mahia, MARS20172026Falcon 9 Block 5SpaceX70 mN/APartially reusable (launch site)VSFB, CCSFS, KSC20182026 to MEOPartially reusable (drone ship) to TMIExpendableFalcon HeavySpaceX70 mN/APartially reusable KSC20182026 to TMIExpendableGravity-1Orienspace30 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable4 OMSP20242026GSLV Mk IIISRO51.7 mN/AExpendable13 SDSC20102026H3-22SMitsubishi57 mN/AN/AExpendable7 TNSC20232026H3-24L/WMitsubishi63 mN/AExpendable1 TNSC20252025H3-30SMitsubishi57 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable1 TNSC20262026Hyperbola-1 (2)i-Space24 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable7 JSLC20212025Jielong 3CALT31 mN/AN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable12 OMSP20222026Kinetica 1CAS Space30 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable16 JSLC, OMSP20222026Kinetica 2CAS Space53 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Partially reusable1 JSLC20262026Kuaizhou 1AExPace19.8 mN/A to SSO(700 km)Expendable27 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC20132024Kuaizhou 1A ProExPace19.8 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable4 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC20242025Kuaizhou 11ExPace25 mN/A to SSOExpendable7 JSLC20202026Long March 2CCALT42 m(200 km) to SSO(600 km)Expendable78 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC19822026Long March 2C / YZ-1SCALT42 mN/AN/A to SSOExpendable10 JSLC, XSLC20182026Long March 2DSAST41.1 mN/A to SSOExpendable101 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC19922026Long March 2D / YZ-3SAST41.1 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable4 JSLC, XSLC20182024Long March 2F/GCALT62 mN/AN/AExpendable16 JSLC20112026Long March 2F/TCALT58.3 mN/AN/AExpendable6 JSLC20112026Long March 3ACALT52.5 m to SSO1,420 to HCOExpendable27 XSLC19942018Long March 3B/ECALT56.3 m to SSO2,000 to GEO3,500 to HCOExpendable90 XSLC20072026Long March 3B/E / YZ-1CALT56.3 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable15 XSLC20152024Long March 3C/ECALT55.6 mN/AExpendable7 XSLC20142025Long March 3C / YZ-1CALT54.8 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable3 XSLC20152025Long March 4BSAST44.1 m to SSOExpendable58 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC19992026Long March 4CSAST45.8 m to SSOExpendable59 JSLC, TSLC, XSLC20062026Long March 5CALT63.2 mN/A to SSO(700 km)13,000 to MEO5,100 to GEO9,400 to TLI 6,000 to TMIExpendable10 WSLS20172026Long March 5 / YZ-2CALT57 mN/AN/A to GEOExpendable1 WSLS20162016Long March 5BCALT53.7 mN/A to SSOExpendable4 WSLS20202022Long March 5B / YZ-2CALT53.7 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable3 WSLS20242025Long March 6SAST29 mN/A to SSOExpendable15 TSLC20152026Long March 6ASAST52 mN/A to SSOExpendable27 TSLC20222026Long March 6CSAST43 mN/A to SSO(500 km)Expendable2 TSLC20242026Long March 7CALT53.1 mN/AN/AExpendable10 WSLS20172026Long March 7 / YZ-1ACALT53.1 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 WSLS20162016Long March 7ACALT60.1 mN/A to SSO(700 km)>8,000 to MEO5,000 to TLIExpendable18 WSLS20202026Long March 8CALT50.3 m to SSO(700 km)1,500 to TLIExpendable6 WSLS, WCSLS20202026Long March 8 (Core Alone)CALT48 mN/AExpendable1 WSLS, WCSLS20222022Long March 8ACALT50.5 m to SSO(700 km)Expendable11 WSLS, WCSLS20252026Long March 10BCALT70.2 m(200km)N/AN/APartially reusable1 WSLS, WCSLS20262026Long March 11CALT20.8 mN/A to SSO(700 km)Expendable12 JSLC, XSLC20152023Long March 11HCALT20.8 mN/A to SSO(700 km)Expendable6 OMSP20192025Long March 12SAST59 mN/A to SSO(700 km)Expendable8 WCSLS20242026Long March 12ASAST70.4 m(200 km)N/A to SSO(500 km)Partially reusable1 JSLC20252025(200 km)N/AExpendableLong March 12BCASC72 mN/AN/APartially reusable1 JSLC20262026 to SSO(500 km)ExpendableLVM 3ISRO43.5 mN/AExpendable8 SDSC20172025Minotaur INorthrop Grumman19.2 m(200 km)N/A to SSO(200 km)~ 450 to Polar(200 km)Expendable12 MARS, VSFB20002021Minotaur IVNorthrop Grumman23.9 m(200 km)N/A to SSO(200 km)~ 1,210 to Polar(200 km)Expendable4 CCSFS, MARS, PSCA, VSFB20102026Minotaur IV / HAPSNorthrop Grumman23.9 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 CCSFS, MARS, PSCA, VSFB20102010Minotaur IV / Orion 38Northrop Grumman23.9 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 CCSFS, MARS, PSCA, VSFB20172017Minotaur IV+Northrop Grumman23.9 m(200 km)N/A to SSO(200 km)~ 1,420 to Polar(200 km)Expendable1 CCSFS, MARS, PSCA, VSFB20112011Minotaur VNorthrop Grumman24.6 mN/A to MEO342 to TLIExpendable1 CCSFS, MARS, PSCA, VSFB20132013New Glenn 7x2Blue Origin98 mN/APartially reusable3 CCSFS VSFB20252026Nuri (KSLV-II)KARI47.2 mN/A to SSOExpendable4 Naro20212025Proton-MKhrunichev58.2 mN/AN/AExpendable1 Baikonur20212021Proton-M / Briz-MKhrunichev58.2 mN/A to GEOExpendable101 Baikonur20012023PSLV-CAISRO44 mN/A to SSOExpendable18 SDSC20072024PSLV-DLISRO44 mN/AN/A to SSOExpendable5 SDSC20192026PSLV-QLISRO44 mN/AN/A to SSOExpendable2 SDSC20192019PSLV-XLISRO44 m to SSOExpendable27 SDSC20082025Qaem 100IRGC15.5 m(500 km)N/AN/AExpendable3 Shahrud20232024QasedIRGC18.8 m(500 km)N/AN/AExpendable3 Shahrud20202023Shavit-2 IAI22.1 m in RetrogradeN/AN/AExpendable7 Palmachim20072025SimorghIranian Space Agency26 mN/AN/AExpendable8 Semnan20172025SLS Block 1NASA Boeing Northrop Grumman98 mN/A+ to TLIExpendable2 KSC20222026Soyuz-2.1aTsSKB-Progress51.4 m from Baikonur from Plesetsk from VostochnyN/AN/AExpendable58 Baikonur, Plesetsk20132026Soyuz-2.1a / FregatTsSKB-Progress46.9 mN/AN/A to SSOExpendable23 Baikonur, Vostochny20062026Soyuz-2.1a / VolgaTsSKB-Progress46.9 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 Baikonur, Plesetsk, Vostochny20162016Soyuz-2.1bTsSKB-Progress44.1 m from Baikonur from Plesetsk from VostochnyN/AN/AExpendable23 Baikonur, Plesetsk20082026Soyuz-2.1b / FregatTsSKB-Progress46.7 m to SSO to HCOExpendable63 Baikonur, Plesetsk, Vostochny20062026Soyuz-2.1b / VolgaTsSKB-Progress46.7 mN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 Baikonur, Plesetsk, Vostochny20262026SpectrumIsar Aerospace28 mN/A to SSOExpendable2 Andøya CSG20252026SSLVISRO34 mN/A to SSOExpendable3 SDSC SLC20222024Starship Block 3SpaceX124.4 mN/AN/AFully reusable1 Starbase20262026Tianlong-2Space Pioneer32.8 mN/A to SSOExpendable1 JSLC20232023Vega-C ItalyArianeGroupAvio36.2 mN/A to SSOto polarExpendable8 CSG20222026Vulcan Centaur VC2ULA61.6 m to polar, to MEO, to GEO, to TLIExpendable2 CCSFS20242024Vulcan Centaur VC4ULA61.6 m to polar, to MEO, to GEO, to TLIExpendable2 VSFB, CCSFS20252026Zhuque-2E (Block 2)LandSpace55.9 mN/A to SSOExpendable3 JSLC20262026 Zhuque-3 LandSpace 65.9 m N/A N/APartially reusable 2 JSLC 2025 2026Expendable

Rockets in flight testing

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Height Maximum payload mass(kg) Reusable / Expendable Orbitallaunchesincludingfailures Suborbital test flights Launch site(s) Dates of flight LEO GTO Other First LatestAngara A5 / OrionKhrunichev54.9 mN/A to GEOExpendable1 Plesetsk, Vostochny20242024Angara A5 / PerseiKhrunichev54.9 mN/A to GEOExpendable1 Plesetsk, Vostochny20212021Eris Block 1Gilmour Space Technologies25 mN/A to SSOExpendable1 Bowen20252025HANBIT-NANO HyPER South KoreaInnospace21.7 mN/AN/A to SSOExpendable1 CEA, Andøya, ASC20252025KAIROSSpace One18 mN/A to SSOExpendable3 Spaceport Kii20242026Long March 10ACALT67.4 mN/AN/APartially reusable1 WSLS20262026ExpendableMir TV2 South KoreaMND19.5 mN/AN/AExpendable1 Jeju sea launch platform20232023New-type satellite carrier rocketNADA KhrunichevN/AN/AN/AN/AExpendable1 Sohae20242024Pallas-1Galactic Energy42 mN/AN/APartially reusable1 JSLC20262026Soyuz-5 (Irtysh)TsSKB-ProgressRSC Energia61.87 mN/A to GEOExpendable1 Baikonur20262026Tianlong-3Space Pioneer72 mN/A to SSOPartially reusable1 JSLC, WSLS20262026Vikram-ISkyroot Aerospace24 m to 45º inclination 500 km LEON/A to 500 km SSOExpendable1 SDSC, SLC20262026ZuljanahIranian Space Agency25.5 mN/AN/AExpendable12 Semnan20252025

Upcoming rockets Upcoming launch vehicles