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). Small launch vehicles can meet the requirements of some spacecraft and can be less expensive than a larger launch vehicle would be. The next larger category is medium-lift launch vehicles.NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p. 11 : "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"

History

The first small-lift launch vehicle was the Sputnik rocket, launched by the Soviet Union, which was derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. On 4 October 1957, the Sputnik rocket was used to perform the world's first satellite launch, placing the Sputnik 1 satellite into a low Earth orbit. The US responded by attempting to launch the Vanguard rocket. "The Vanguard Satellite Launching Vehicle — An Engineering Summary". B. Klawans. April 1960, 212 pages. Martin Company Engineering Report No 11022, PDF of an optical copy. However, the Vanguard TV3 launch attempt failed, with the 31 January 1958 launch of the Explorer 1 satellite using the Juno I rocket being the first successful US orbital launch. The Vanguard I mission was the second successful US orbital launch. This was the start of the space race. Key Apollo Source Documents .

Since the late 1950s, small-lift launch vehicles have continued launching payloads into orbits including LEO, Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), and geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Medium-lift launch vehicles, heavy-lift launch vehicles, and super heavy-lift launch vehicles have also been extensively developed but have not completely superseded small launch vehicles.

Rated launch vehicles

Operational

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO(kg) Mass toother orbits(kg) Launches First flightQasedIRGCASF(+1)2020Qaem 100IRGC3(+1)2023HANBIT-NANOInnospace12025SK solid fueled TV2MND12023Shavit 2IAE1988UnhaKCST2009 OS-M OneSpace to SSO 2019KAIROSSpace One to SSO2024 Electron Rocket Lab to SSO2017 Jielong 1 CALT to SSO 2019Hyperbola-1i-Space2020Chollima-1NADA2023Eris Block 1Gilmour Space215 to SSO2025SimorghIranian Space Agency(+1)2016Ceres-1Galactic Energy2026Vikram-1Skyroot Aerospace35012026Kuaizhou-1CASC250 to SSO2013SSLVISRO / NSIL to SSO2022Start-1MITT to SSO1993Minotaur INorthrop Grumman2000Long March 6CALT to SSO2015Long March 11CALT2015 Alpha Firefly to SSO 2021SpectrumIsar Aerospace to SSO 2025EpsilonIHI2013RS1ABL400 to GTO2023StrelaKhrunichev2003Minotaur-CNorthrop Grumman to SSO1994Kuaizhou-11CASC1,000 to SSOSK solid fueled LVMND2023Minotaur IVNorthrop Grumman2010Kinetica 1CAS Space to SSO2022Tianlong-2Space Pioneer to SSO2023 Jielong 3 CALT to SSO 2022

Under development

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO(kg) Mass toother orbits(kg) First flight (expected)Blue Whale 1Perigee Aerospace to SSOTBDAgnibaanAgnikul CosmosTBD ZERO Interstellar Technologies to SSO2027VLMBrazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology2028DNLVIndependence-X Aerospace2029VolansEquatorial Space Systems150 to SSOTBDZuljanahIranian Space Agency TBD Skyrora XL Skyrora 2027Hapith VTiSPACE to SSO Ravn X SL3 Aevum Space & Defense to SSO2026 Vikram II Skyroot Aerospace to SSOTBDRocket 4Astra Space, Inc.2026 Vikram III Skyroot Aerospace to SSOTBDTronador IIVENG2029Miura 5PLD Space 2026RFA OneRocket Factory Augsburg 2026AuroraReaction Dynamics to SSO 2028TundraNordSpace to SSO 2028R-1Canadian Rocket Company to SSO 2028

Retired

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass toLEO(kg) Mass toother orbits(kg) Launches First flight Last flightSS-520IHI20172018VanguardMartin11(+1)19571959Juno IChrysler19581959Veloce 17Eldorado SpaceLambda 4SNissan19661977SLVISRO19791983Juno IIChrysler19581961Boeing Small Launch Vehicle Boeing0Rocket 3Astra(+2)20202022SafirIranian Space Agency20082019Vector-RVector0(+2)DiamantSEREB19651975Vector-HVectorCapricornioINTAASLVISRO19871994ScoutUS Air Force/NASA19611994Mu-4SNissan19711972Mu-3CNissan19741979Shtil'Makeyev – 42019982006Mu-3HNissan19771978Mu-3SNissan19801984Long March 1CALT19701971Zhuque-1LandSpace to SSO20182018Delta 1913McDonnell Douglas19731973Delta 2310McDonnell Douglas19741981Delta 1410McDonnell Douglas19751975VLS-1AEB, INPEA third rocket exploded 3-days before launch19971999Delta 1604McDonnell Douglas19721973Falcon 1SpaceX20062009PegasusOrbital19902021ConestogaSpace Services Inc.19821995Sputnik 8K71PSRSC Energia19571957Launcher OneVirgin Orbit to SSO2020PaektusanKCSTKorea, Christoph Bluth, 1998Long March 1D (CZ-1D)CALT0(+3)1995Suborbital test flights in 1995, 1997 and 2002, no orbital launches attempted2002Mu-3SIINissan19851995Athena ILockheed Martin to GTO19952001Delta 3913McDonnell Douglas19811981J-IIHI, Nissan 0(+1)19961996Delta 1910McDonnell Douglas19751975N-IMitsubishi19751982Terran 1Relativity Space20232023Delta 0900McDonnell Douglas to SSO19721972Sputnik 8A91RSC Energia19581958Atlas LV-3BConvair19601963H-IMitsubishi19861992Kosmos-3MNPO Polyot19672010M-VIHI, Nissan19972006Athena IILockheed Martin19981999Delta 1900McDonnell Douglas19731973Delta 2910McDonnell Douglas19751978RokotKhrunichev to SSO19902019VegaAvio to SSO20122024

Notes

See also Sounding rocket, suborbital launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 2,000 and 20,000 kg to low Earth orbit Heavy lift launch vehicle, capable of lifting between 20,000 and 50,000 kg to low Earth orbit Super heavy-lift launch vehicles, capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) to low Earth orbit Comparison of orbital launch systems List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital rocket engines Comparison of space station cargo vehicles Rocket Spacecraft propulsion

References

Notes

Further reading Isakowitz, Hopkins, and Hopkins International Guide to Space Launch Systems, AIAA. .

External links Small Satellite Launchers at NewSpace Index