Small-lift launch vehicle

Launch of a Vanguard rocket
Scout rocket launch (NASA)

A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).[1]

The first small-lift launch vehicle was the Sputnik rocket, it put into orbit an unmanned orbital carrier rocket designed by Sergey Korolyov in the Soviet Union, derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. On 4 October 1957, the rocket was used to perform the world's first satellite launch, placing Sputnik 1 satellite into a low Earth orbit.[2][3][4] The USA responded by launching the Vanguard rocket,[5][6] that was intended to be the first launch vehicle the United States would use to place a satellite into orbit. Instead, the Sputnik crisis caused by the surprise launch of Sputnik 1 led the U.S., after the failure of Vanguard TV3, to quickly orbit the Explorer 1 satellite using a Juno I rocket launched on January 31, 1958. Vanguard I was the second successful U.S. orbital launch. Thus started the space race, that gave the drive to put men on the moon with the USA's Apollo program.[7][8]

It could be said the space race between United States and the Soviet Union started at the end of World War 2, as a race began to retrieve as many V-2 rockets and Nazi Germany V-2 staff as possible.[9] Three hundred rail-car loads of V-2 rocket weapons and parts were captured and shipped to the United States, also 126 of the principal designers of the V-2, including Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger, went to America. Von Braun, his brother Magnus von Braun, and seven others decided to surrender to the United States military in Operation Paperclip to ensure they were not captured by the advancing Soviets or shot dead by the Nazis to prevent their capture.[10] Thus the V-2 program started the space race, the V-2 could not orbit, but could reach a height of 88 km (55 mi) on long range trajectory and up to 206 km (128 mi) if launched vertically.[11][12][13]

Small-lift launch vehicles

Vehicle Origin Manufacturer Mass to
LEO
(kg)		 Mass to
other orbits
(kg)		 Launches Status First flight Last flight
Vanguard  United States Martin 9[14] 11(+1) Retired 1957 1959
Lambda 4S  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 26[16] 5 Retired 1966 1970
Safir  Iran Iranian Space Agency 50[17] 4[18][19] Operational 2008 2015[19]
Black Arrow  United Kingdom RAE 73[20] 2 Retired 1969[note 1] 1971
Simorgh  Iran Iranian Space Agency 100-350[21] 0 Devel
Naro-1  South Korea
 Russia		 KARI/Khrunichev 100[22] 3 Retired 2009 2013
Unha  North Korea KCST 100[23] 3 Operational 2009
Volna  Russia Makeyev 100[24] 1(+5)[25] Operational 1995[note 2] 2005[25]
Kaituozhe-1  China CALT 100[26] 2 Operational 2002 2003
Diamant  France SEREB 107[27][28] 12 Retired 1965 1975
Electron  New Zealand Rocket Lab 110[29] 0 Development
Shavit  Israel IAE 160[30] 9 Operational 1988 2014
Scout  United States US Air Force/NASA 174[31] 125 Retired 1961 1994
Mu-4S  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 180[16] 4 Retired 1971 1972
Mu-3C  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 195[16] 4 Retired 1974 1979
Tronador II  Argentina CONAE 250[32] 0 Development
Shtil'  Russia Makeyev 280 - 420 [33] 2[25] Operational 1998 2006
Mu-3H  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 300[16] 3 Retired 1977 1978
Mu-3S  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 300[16] 4 Retired 1980 1984
Long March 1 (CZ-1)  China CALT 300[34] 2[35] Retired[36] 1970[35] 1971[35]
Delta 1913  United States McDonnell Douglas 328[37] 1[38] Retired 1973 1973
Delta 2310  United States McDonnell Douglas 336[39] 3[38] Retired 1974 1981
Delta 1410  United States McDonnell Douglas 340[40] 1[38] Retired 1975 1975
VLS-1  Brazil AEB, INPE 380[41] 2[note 3] Operational 1997 2003
Delta 1604  United States McDonnell Douglas 390[42] 2[38] Retired 1972 1973
Kuaizhou  China CALT 400[43] 2[43] Operational 2013[43] 2014[43]
Falcon 1  United States SpaceX 420[44] 5 Retired[45] 2006 2009
Pegasus  United States Orbital 443[46] 42[47] Operational 1990 2013[47]
Sputnik 8K71PS  Soviet Union RSC Energia 500[48] 2 Retired 1957 1957
Start-1  Russia MITT 532[49] 350 to SSO[50] 5[51] Operational 1993 2006
Minotaur I  United States Orbital 580[52] 10[53] Operational 2000 2013
Minotaur IV  United States Orbital 1,735[54] 3(+2)[55] Operational 2010[55] 2011[55]
Minotaur-C  United States Orbital 1,450[56] 1,050[56] to SSO 9[57] Operational[58] 1994 2011
Long March 11  China CALT 700[59] 1 Operational 2015[60]
Paektusan  North Korea KCST 700[61] Retired 1998
Long March 1D(CZ-1D)  China CALT 740[62] 0(+3) Retired 1995[note 4] 2002
Mu-3SII  Japan Nissan Motors[15] 770[16] 8 Retired 1985 1995
Athena I  United States Lockheed Martin 795[63] 515 to GTO 4[64] Retired 1995 2001
Delta 3913  United States McDonnell Douglas 816[65] 1[38] Retired 1981 1981
J-I  Japan IHI Corporation
Nissan Motors[15]		 1,000[66] 0(+1) Retired 1996 1996
Delta 1910  United States McDonnell Douglas 1,066[67] 1[38] Retired 1975 1975
N-I  Japan
 United States		 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1,200[68] Retired 1975 1982
Atlas-Centaur  United States Lockheed 1,134[69] 2,222 to GTO [70] 148 Retired 1962 1983
Epsilon  Japan IHI Aerospace[71]　　　　　 1,200[16] 1 Operational[16] 2013
Delta 0900  United States McDonnell Douglas 1,300[72] 818 to SSO[38] 2[38] Retired 1972 1972
Sputnik 8A91  Soviet Union RSC Energia 1,327 2 Retired 1958 1958
Ariane 1  Europe Aérospatiale 1,400 1,830 to GTO[73] 11[73] Retired 1979 1986
Kosmos-3M  Soviet Union
 Russia		 NPO Polyot 1,500[74] 442[75] Retired 1967 2010
Strela  Russia Khrunichev 1,400[76] 3[77] Operational[77] 2003 2014
H-I  Japan
 United States		 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 1,400[78] 9 Retired 1986 1992
M-V  Japan Nissan Motors[15] (-2000)
IHI AEROSPACE[71] (-2006)		 1,800 - 1,850[16] 7 Retired 1997 2006
Athena II  United States Lockheed Martin 1,800[79] 3[80] Retired[81] 1998 1999
Delta 1900  United States McDonnell Douglas 1,800[38] 1[38] Retired 1973 1973
Delta 2910  United States McDonnell Douglas 1,887[38] 6[38] Retired 1975 1978
Rokot  Russia Khrunichev 1,950[82] 1,200 to SSO 25[83][84] Operational 1990

See also

References

  1. ↑ 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"
  2. ↑ NASA, Sputnik 1
  3. ↑ russianspaceweb.com Sputnik
  4. ↑ (Russian) Sputnik Rocket
  5. ↑ US Navy, Vanguard Project
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ Kennedy, John F. (April 20, 1961). "Memorandum for Vice President". The White House (Memorandum). Boston, MA: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ Launius, Roger D. (July 1994). "President John F. Kennedy Memo for Vice President, 20 April 1961" (PDF). Apollo: A Retrospective Analysis (PDF). Monographs in Aerospace History Number 3. Washington, D.C.: NASA. OCLC 31825096. Retrieved August 1, 2013. Key Apollo Source Documents.
  9. ↑ "We Want with the West", Time Magazine, 9 December 1946.
  10. ↑ "Wernher von Braun". Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  11. ↑ "Bumper Project". White Sands History - Fact Sheets and Articles. US Army. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  12. ↑ 'Long-range' in the context of the time. See NASA history article.
  13. ↑ Neufeld, Michael J (1995). The Rocket and the Reich: Peenemünde and the Coming of the Ballistic Missile Era. New York: The Free Press. pp. 158,160–2,190.
  14. ↑ astronautix.com, vanguard
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "NISSAN HERITAGE COLLECTION online【その他】プリンス自動車工業小史". Nissan Motors. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Satellite Launch Vehicles". Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  17. ↑ jamejamonline.ir, Safir (rocket)
  18. ↑ "State television reports Iran launches satellite called 'Fajr' into space amid rocket tests". Fox Business. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  19. 1 2 "Safir". Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  20. ↑ Encyclopedia Astronautica, Black Arrow
  21. ↑ http://i004.radikal.ru/1508/a7/94ca7ddf9113.jpg
  22. ↑ Space Skyrocket STSAT 2C on Naro-1
  23. ↑ Space Skyrocket, kwangmyongsong-3 on a Unha
  24. ↑ irdt-1 Space Skyrocket on a Volna
  25. 1 2 3 "Vysota / Volna / Shtil". Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  26. ↑ astronautix.com Kaituozhe-1, also called KY-1
  27. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Aura (D 2B) on a Diamant
  28. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Diamant, retrieved 19 December 2015
  29. ↑ "NZ to get its own space programme by 2015". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  30. ↑ spacelaunchreport.com, Shavit Shavit-1 = 250, Shavit-2 = 300 LEO
  31. ↑ nasa.gov, NASA, Scout Launch Vehicle Program
  32. ↑ lanacion.com.ar, Tronador II
  33. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Shtil
  34. ↑ astronautix.com, Long March 1, also called CZ-1
  35. 1 2 3 "CZ-1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  36. ↑ "CZ-1". Astronautix.com. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  37. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Explorer 49 RAE B
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Gunter, Krebs. "Delta". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  39. ↑ NASA - National Space Science Data Center, NOAA 5 on a Delta 2310
  40. ↑ Space Skyrocket, GEOS 3-Delta 1410
  41. ↑ Space Skyrocket, VLS-1
  42. ↑ Aviation History, Explorer 47 on Delta 1604, Sept. 38, 1972
  43. 1 2 3 4 "Kuaizhou". Gunter's Space Pages. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  44. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Falcon 1
  45. ↑ "Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - Falcon 1". Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  46. ↑ Parabolicarc.com, NASA Awards Launch for Orbital’s Pegasus Rocket, by Doug Messier, April 2, 2014
  47. 1 2 "Pegasus". Gunter's Space Pages. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  48. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Sputnik 8K71PS
  49. ↑ fas.org Start1
  50. ↑ Space Skyrocket, EROS B on Start-1
  51. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Start-1
  52. ↑ "Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle—Fact Sheet" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-28. Spacecraft mass-to-orbit of up to 580 kg to LEO (28.5 deg, 185 km)
  53. ↑ "Minotaur Space Launch Vehicles". Orbital Sciences Corporation. 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-28. To date, Minotaur has conduced ten missions with a 100% success rate, delivering 33 satellites into orbit.
  54. ↑ "Minotaur IV Fact sheet" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Corporation. 2010. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  55. 1 2 3
  56. 1 2 "Minotaur-C Factsheet" (PDF). Orbital Science Corporation. 2014.
  57. ↑ "Taurus / Minotaur-C". Gunter's Space Page. May 2014.
  58. ↑
  59. ↑ China daily mail, China reveals CZ-11 anti-ASAT rocket, by chankaiyee2, October 8, 2015
  60. ↑ Barbosa, Rui. "China debuts Long March 11 lofting Tianwang-1 trio". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2015-09-26.
  61. ↑ Korea, By Christoph Bluth,
  62. ↑ astronautix.com, Long March 1D -(CZ-1D
  63. ↑ Space Skyrocket Athena 1
  64. ↑ "Athena-1". Astronautix.com. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  65. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Explorer: DE 1 and DE 2 on Delta 3913
  66. ↑ Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, About J-I Launch Vehicle
  67. ↑ Space Skyrocket, OSO 8 satellite on Delta 1910
  68. ↑ astronautix.com, N-I- Delta
  69. ↑ Space Launch Report Atlas-Centaur
  70. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Atlas-Centaur
  71. 1 2 "Projects&Products". IHI Aerospace. Retrieved 2011-03-08.
  72. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Delta 0900". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  73. 1 2 Gunter, Krebs. "Ariane-1, -2, -3, -4". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  74. ↑ russianspaceweb.com Cosmos3
  75. ↑ Space Skyrocket Kosmos-3M
  76. ↑ russianspaceweb.com, Strela
  77. 1 2 "Strela". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 Dec 2014.
  78. ↑ space.skyrocket JERS (Fuyo) on a H-1
  79. ↑ NASA, Athena Mission Planner’s Guide 26 August 2012
  80. ↑ "Athena-2". Astronautix.com. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  81. ↑ Space Skyrocket, Athena-2
  82. ↑ nasaspaceflight.com, Rokot, Russia’s Rokot launches with three Rodnik satellites, September 23, 2015, by Chris Bergin
  83. ↑ "Rokot (Rockot)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 23 Dec 2014.
  84. ↑ "Rockot Launch Vehicle". Khrunichev.ru. Retrieved 2013-11-04.
  1. ↑ Suborbital test in 1969, first orbital launch attempt in 1970
  2. ↑ First orbital launch attempt in 2005
  3. ↑ A third rocket exploded before launch
  4. ↑ Suborbital test flights in 1995, 1997 and 2002, no orbital launches attempted

Further reading

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