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Small-lift launch vehicle
Rocket able to lift 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit

A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) or less (by NASA classification) or under 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) (by Roscosmos classification) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category is medium-lift launch vehicles.

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. 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.

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launch vehicles, and super heavy-lift launch vehicles have also been extensively developed but have not completely superseded small launch vehicles. Small launch vehicles can meet the requirements of some spacecraft, and can be less expensive than a larger launch vehicle would be.

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Rated launch vehicles

Operational

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass toLEO(kg)Mass toother orbits(kg)LaunchesFirst flight
Qased IranIRGCASF10−5032020
Qaem 100 IranIRGC80113(+1)2023
SK solid fueled TV2 Republic of KoreaMND>10012023
Shavit 2 IsraelIAE16012121988
Unha North KoreaKCST2001342009
KAIROS JapanSpace One250150 to SSO12024
Electron New Zealand United StatesRocket Lab30014200 to SSO15622017
Jielong 1 ChinaCALT200 to SSO1162019
Hyperbola-1 Chinai-Space3001762020
Chollima-1 North KoreaNADA≥3001832023
Simorgh IranIranian Space Agency350196(+1)2016
Ceres-1 ChinaGalactic Energy35020112020
Kuaizhou-1 ChinaCASC40021250 to SSO2822201323
SSLV IndiaISRO / NSIL500300 to SSO22022
Start-1 RussiaMITT53224350 to SSO255261993
Minotaur I United StatesNorthrop Grumman5802712282000
Long March 6 ChinaCALT500 to SSO112015
Long March 11 ChinaCALT7002917201530
Alpha United StatesFirefly1,00031600 to SSO52021
Epsilon JapanIHI321,2003352013
RS1 United StatesABL1,35034400 to GTO12023
Strela RussiaKhrunichev1,400353362003
Minotaur-C United StatesNorthrop Grumman1,450371,05038 to SSO10391994
Kuaizhou-11 ChinaCASC1,5001,000 to SSO2
SK solid fueled LV Republic of KoreaMND1,5001(+2)202340
Minotaur IV United StatesNorthrop Grumman1,73541742201043
Kinetica 1 ChinaCAS Space2,0001,500 to SSO32022
Tianlong-2 ChinaSpace Pioneer2,000441,500 to SSO12023
Jielong 3 ChinaCALT1,500 to SSO3452022
OS-M46 ChinaOneSpace2054773 to SSO12019

Under development

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass toLEO(kg)Mass toother orbits(kg)First flight

(expected)

Blue Whale 1 South KoreaPerigee Aerospace634850 to SSO2025
HANBIT-NANO South KoreaInnospace90492025
Agnibaan IndiaAgnikul Cosmos1002022
ZERO JapanInterstellar Technologies100 to SSO502023
Chetak IndiaBellatrix Aerospace1502023
VLM51 BrazilBrazilian General Command for Aerospace Technology1502027
Haribon SLS-1 PhilippinesOrbitX200522023
DNLV MalaysiaIndependence-X Aerospace532002023
Volans SingaporeEquatorial Space Systems54220150 to SSO2023
Zuljanah IranIranian Space Agency2202021
Vikram 1 IndiaSkyroot Aerospace315255 to SSO552023
Skyrora XL United KingdomSkyrora31556202357
Hapith V TaiwanTiSPACE39058350 to SSO
Ravn X SL3 United StatesAevum Space & Defense50059470 to SSO2026
Vikram II IndiaSkyroot Aerospace520410 to SSO60TBD
Rocket 4 United StatesAstra Space, Inc.600612023
Vikram III IndiaSkyroot Aerospace720580 to SSO62TBD
Tronador II ArgentinaCONAE750632029
Miura 5 SpainPLD Space900202464
Spectrum GermanyIsar Aerospace1,000700 to SSO2023
Hyperbola-2 Chinai-Space1,90065

Retired

VehicleOriginManufacturerMass toLEO(kg)Mass toother orbits(kg)LaunchesFirst flightLast flight
SS-520 JapanIHI4220172018
Vanguard United StatesMartin96611(+1)19571959
Juno I67 United StatesChrysler11619581959
Veloce 17 United StatesEldorado Space68120
Lambda 4S JapanNissan69267051966197771
SLV IndiaISRO4072419791983
Juno II73 United StatesChrysler411019581961
Boeing Small Launch Vehicle74 United StatesBoeing45750
Rocket 3 United StatesAstra45767(+2)20202022
Safir IranIranian Space Agency5077820082019
Vector-R United StatesVector60780(+2)
Diamant FranceSEREB10779801219651975
Vector-H United StatesVector110810
Capricornio82 SpainINTA1400
ASLV IndiaISRO150419871994
Scout United StatesUS Air Force/NASA1748312519611994
Mu-4S JapanNissan8418085419711972
Mu-3C JapanNissan8619587419741979
Shtil' RussiaMakeyev280 – 4208828919982006
Mu-3H JapanNissan9030091319771978
Mu-3S JapanNissan9230093419801984
Long March 1 ChinaCALT30094295197096197197
Zhuque-1 ChinaLandSpace30098200 to SSO120182018
Delta 1913 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas32899110019731973
Delta 2310 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas336101310219741981
Delta 1410 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas340103110419751975
VLS-1 BrazilAEB, INPE380105210619972003
Delta 1604 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas390107210819721973
Falcon 1 United StatesSpaceX420109520062009
Pegasus United StatesOrbital4431104511119902021
Conestoga United StatesSpace Services Inc.500112319821995
Sputnik 8K71PS Soviet UnionRSC Energia500113219571957
Launcher One United StatesVirgin Orbit500114300 to SSO62020
Paektusan North KoreaKCST70011511998
Long March 1D (CZ-1D) ChinaCALT7401160(+3)19951172002
Mu-3SII JapanNissan118770119819851995
Athena I United StatesLockheed Martin795120515 to GTO412119952001
Delta 3913 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas816122112319811981
J-I JapanIHI, Nissan1241,0001250(+1)19961996
Delta 1910 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas1,066126112719751975
N-I Japan United StatesMitsubishi1,200128719751982
Terran 1 United StatesRelativity Space1,250120232023
Delta 0900 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas1,300129818 to SSO130213119721972
Sputnik 8A91 Soviet UnionRSC Energia1,327219581958
Atlas LV-3B132 United StatesConvair1,360919601963
H-I Japan United StatesMitsubishi1,400133919861992
Kosmos-3M Soviet Union RussiaNPO Polyot1,50013444213519672010
M-V JapanIHI, Nissan1361371,800138719972006
Athena II United StatesLockheed Martin1,800139314019981999
Delta 1900 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas1,800141114219731973
Delta 2910 United StatesMcDonnell Douglas1,887143614419751978
Rokot Soviet Union RussiaKhrunichev1,9501451,200 to SSO3419902019
Vega Italy Europe146Avio1,450 to SSO2220122024

Notes

See also

Notes

Further reading

  • Isakowitz, Hopkins, and Hopkins International Guide to Space Launch Systems, AIAA. ISBN 1-56347591-X.

References

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