Heavy lift launch vehicle

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Heavy rocket carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload launches Aug. 28, 2013, from Space Launch Complex-6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Ariane 5 ES launch

Proton-M on the launch pad

A Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle, or HLV / HLLV, is an orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting between 20,000 to 50,000 kg to low Earth orbit.^[1] The current Heavy-Lift Launch vehicles in service are the Ariane 5 in its ES and ECA variants, the Russian Proton-M and the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy.^[2]

Heavy lift launch vehicles

• Saturn IB from Apollo 5 1968 (retired after 9 launches) 21,000 kg (46,000 lb) ^[3]
• Ariane 5ECA&ES 1996 to present - European Space Agency (ESA) 21,000 kg (46,000 lb)^[4]
• Proton-M 2001 to present - Russian 21,600 kg (47,600 lb)^[5]
• Titan IV 1989 to 2005 (retired after successful 35 launches) 21,680 kg (47,800 lb) ^[6]
• Space Shuttle 1981 to 2011 (retired after 135 launches) 24,400 kg (53,800 lb) Cargo bay only. ^[7]
• Angara A5 24,500 kg (54,000 lb)^[8]
• Delta IV Heavy 2004 to present - World's highest capacity rocket currently in operation. Payload to LEO 28,790 kg (63,470 lb).^[9]

• In development:
  • Long March 5(CZ-5) - China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (in development)^[10]
  • Vulcan rocket (in development by United Launch Alliance)^[11]
  • Falcon Heavy (in development by SpaceX). Payload to LEO 53,000 kg (117,000 lb).
  • Space Launch System (in development for NASA's Orion (spacecraft) and other uses)^[12]
  • (NASA's Ares I was in the planning stages when canceled in 2010)^[13]

Super Heavy lift launch vehicles

A super-heavy lift vehicle or SHLV / SHLLV is capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) of payload into LEO.^[1][14]

• Saturn V Apollo crew of 3, payload of 118,000 kg (260,000 lb) ^[15]
• Energia One-time payload unmanned Buran orbiter at 62,000 kg (137,000 lb).^[16]

• In development:
  • Falcon Heavy 53,000 kg (117,000 lb),^[17]
  • Long March 9 130,000 kg (290,000 lb)^[18]
  • Space Launch System 130,000 kg (290,000 lb).^[19]

When adding a space shuttle orbiter, crew of 5, at 90,492 kg (199,501 lb) with the space shuttles heaviest cargo bay payload, STS-93, of 22,753 kg (50,162 lb) the total payload was 113,245 kg (249,662 lb) on 23 July 1999.^[20][21] All space shuttles, crew of 2 to 11, count as super heavy lift launch vehicles if one is counting the space shuttle orbiter, not just the cargo bay payload. ^[22]
Four Soviet N-1 rockets lifted off with 95,000 kg (209,000 lb), but all four failed shortly after lift off (1969- 1972).^[23]

See also

• Sounding rocket non orbiting.
• Small-lift launch vehicle capable of lifting up to 2,000 kg to low Earth orbit.
• Medium-lift launch vehicle capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) of payload into Low Earth orbit.
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Comparison of orbital rocket engines
• Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
• Rocket
• Spacecraft propulsion

References

Comparison of maximum payload to low Earth orbit (LEO) (Left to right). Space Shuttle payload includes 7 crew and cargo. Ares I payload includes 4 crew and inherent craft. Saturn V payload includes 3 crew, inherent craft and cargo. Ares V payload includes only cargo and inherent craft. The Saturn V was capable of lifting approximately 140 metric tons of payload to LEO. The Ares V was being designed to lift 188 metric tons to LEO.

Comparison of Saturn V, Shuttle, Ares I, Ares V, Ares IV, and SLS Block I

Further reading

• Mallove, Eugene F. and Matloff, Gregory L. The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel, Wiley. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.