Comparison of solid fuel lift launch systems
Encyclopedia
This page contains the lift launch systems constructed by some solid fuel stages except final stage.
All stages solid fueled
| Vehicle | Stage number | Origin | Manufacturer | Height (meter) | Diameter (meter) | Weight (ton) | Mass to LEO Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... (kg) |
Mass to Other Orbit (kg) |
Maiden flight | Retired | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASLV ASLV Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle , was a 5-stage solid propellant rocket developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation to place 150 kg satellites into LEO. This project was started by India during the early 1980s to develop technologies needed for a payload to be placed into a... |
5 | ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore... |
24 | 1 | 41 | 150 | 1987 | 1994 | 2/4 | Retired | ||
| J-I J-I The J-I was a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency solid rocket expendable launch vehicle. It flew only once, in 1996, in a partial configuration, to launch the demonstrator Hyflex... |
2(+1) | NASDA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the... / ISAS Institute of Space and Astronautical Science is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. It is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency .- History :... |
33.1 | 1.8 | 88.5 | 1000 | 1996 | 1996 | 1/1* | Retired | ||
| Kaituozhe-1 Kaituozhe-1 The Kaituozhe-1 or is a Chinese commercial launch vehicle. Small and solid-fueled, its design was based on the road mobile DF-31 ICBM with an additional upper stage. The vehicle has performed two flights, the first in September 2002 and the second exactly one year later... |
Space Solid Fuel Carrier Co. | SSO Sun-synchronous orbit A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time... :50kg ? |
2002 | - | 0/2 | Active | ||||||
| L-4S Lambda (rocket) Lambda is the name of a series of Japanese rockets. It consisted of the types Lambda 2, LS-A, LSC-3, Lambda 3, Lambda 4 and LS-C.On February 11, 1970 the first Japanese satellite Ōsumi was launched using a Lambda 4 rocket.... |
4 | Tokyo univ. University of Tokyo , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... |
16.5 | 0.735 | 9.4 | 26 | 1966 | 1970 | 1/5 | Retired | ||
| Minotaur I Minotaur I The Minotaur I, or just Minotaur is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minuteman II missile. It is used to launch small satellites for the US Government, and is a member of the Minotaur family of rockets produced by Orbital Sciences Corporation.Minotaur I rockets consist of the... |
4 | Orbital Sciences | 19.2 | 1.67 | 36.2 | 580 | SSO: 331 | 2000 | - | 10/10 | Active | |
| Minotaur IV Minotaur IV Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle... Lite |
3 | Orbital Sciences | 23.88 | 2.34 | 86.3 | - | 2010 | - | 2/2* | Active | ||
| Minotaur IV Minotaur IV Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle... |
4 | Orbital Sciences | 23.88 | 2.34 | 86.3 | 1735 | 2010 | - | 1/1 | Active | ||
| Minotaur IV+ Minotaur IV Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle... |
4 | Orbital Sciences | 23.88 | 2.34 | 86.3 | 1985 | 2011 | - | 1/1 | Active | ||
| Minotaur V Minotaur V The Minotaur V is an American expendable launch system derived from the Minotaur IV, itself a derivative of the Peacekeeper missile. It is being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2012 carrying the LADEE spacecraft for NASA.The Minotaur V is a... |
5 | Orbital Sciences | 1.67 | GTO:640 TLI Trans Lunar Injection A Trans Lunar Injection is a propulsive maneuver used to set a spacecraft on a trajectory which will arrive at the Moon.Typical lunar transfer trajectories approximate Hohmann transfers, although low energy transfers have also been used in some cases, as with the Hiten probe... :447 |
(2011) | - | 0/0 | Development | ||||
| M-3C Mu (rocket) The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006... |
3 | Tokyo univ. University of Tokyo , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... |
20.2 | 1.41 | 41.8 | 195 | 1974 | 1979 | 3/4 | Retired | ||
| M-3H Mu (rocket) The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006... |
3 | Tokyo univ. University of Tokyo , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... |
23.8 | 1.41 | 48.7 | 300 | 1977 | 1978 | 3/3 | Retired | ||
| M-3S Mu (rocket) The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006... |
3 | Tokyo univ. University of Tokyo , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... |
23.8 | 1.41 | 48.7 | 300 | 1980 | 1984 | 4/4 | Retired | ||
| M-3SII Mu (rocket) The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006... |
3(+1) | ISAS Institute of Space and Astronautical Science is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. It is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency .- History :... |
27.8 | 1.41 | 61 | 770 | 1985 | 1995 | 7/8 | Retired | ||
| M-4S Mu (rocket) The Mu, also known as M, was a series of Japanese solid-fuelled carrier rockets, which were launched from Uchinoura between 1966 and 2006... |
4 | Tokyo univ. University of Tokyo , abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university... |
23.6 | 1.41 | 43.6 | 180 | 1970 | 1972 | 3/4 | Retired | ||
| M-V | 3(+1) | ISAS Institute of Space and Astronautical Science is a Japanese national research organization of astrophysics using rockets, astronomical satellites and interplanetary probes. It is a division of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency .- History :... |
30.8 | 2.5 | 140 | 1850 | Interplanetary: 500 | 1997 | 2006 | 6/7 | Retired | |
| Pegasus | 3 | Orbital Sciences | 16.9 | 1.27 | 18.5 | 375 | 1990 | 10/11 | Active(?) | |||
| Pegasus XL Pegasus rocket The Pegasus rocket is a winged space launch vehicle capable of carrying small, unmanned payloads into low Earth orbit. It is air-launched, as part of an expendable launch system developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation . Three main stages burning solid propellant provide the thrust... |
3 | Orbital Sciences | 17.6 | 1.27 | 23.13 | 443 | 1994 | - | 26/29 | Active | ||
| Scout Scout (rocket) The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages.... |
4(?) | NACA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... |
23 | 1.01 | 21.5 | 1961 | 1994 | Retired | ||||
| Scout-A Scout (rocket) The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages.... |
4 | NACA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... |
25 | 1.01 | 17.85 | Retired | ||||||
| Shavit Shavit Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United... |
3 | IAI | 15.3 | 1.352 | 23.2 | 160 | 1988 | 1990 | 2/2 | Retired | ||
| Shavit Shavit Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United... 1 (LK-A) |
3 | IAI | 17.2 | 1.352 | 27.3 | 240 | 1995 | 2004 | 2/4 | Retired | ||
| Shavit Shavit Shavit is a space launch vehicle produced by Israel to launch small satellites into low earth orbit. It was first launched on September 19, 1988 , making Israel the eighth country to have a space launch capability after the USSR, United States, France, Japan, People's Republic of China, United... 2 (LK-1) |
3 | IAI | 19.5 | 1.352 | 31.2 | 350 | 2007 | - | 2/2 | Active | ||
| SLV Satellite Launch Vehicle The Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a project started in the early 1970s by Indian Space Research Organisation to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. The project was headed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 km and carry a payload of... |
4 | ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore... |
22 | 1 | 17 | 40 | 1979 | 1983 | 3/4 | Retired | ||
| RPS-420 RPS-420 Satellite Orbiting Rocket Number 420 is Indonesia's proposed satellite launching rocket that if successful, will carry Indonesia's first indigenous satellite into Low Earth Orbit in 2014.... |
4 | LAPAN National Institute of Aeronautics and Space National Institute of Aeronautics and Space is the Indonesian government space agency. It was established on November 27, 1964 by former Indonesian president Suharto after one year's existence of an informal space agency organization. LAPAN is responsible for long-term civilian and military... |
9.5 | 0.42 | 50 | (2014) | - | 0/0 | Development | |||
| Start-1 START-1 Start-1 is a Russian satellite launch vehicle based on the RT-2PM Topol, a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.- History :... |
4 | MIT Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology a Russian scientific research institute that was founded on May 13, 1946... |
22.7 | 1.61 | 47.2 | 532 | SSO: 167 | 1993 | - | 6/6 | Active | |
| Taiwan SLV | 4 | NSPO | 50 | - | - | 0/0 | Development | |||||
| Taurus Taurus rocket Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994,... |
3+1 | Orbital Sciences | 27 | 2.35 | 69 | 1259 | SSO: 889 | 1994 | - | 5/6 | Active ? | |
| Taurus XL Taurus rocket Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994,... |
3+1 | Orbital Sciences | 32 | 2.35 | 77 | 1458 | SSO: 1054 | 2004 | - | 1/3 | Active | |
| VLS-1 VLS-1 The VLS - Satellite Launch Vehicle - is the Brazilian Space Agency's main satellite launch vehicle project. The project's goal is to develop a launch vehicle capable of launching small general-purpose satellites into orbit... |
3 | AEB Brazilian Space Agency The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno... |
19.5 | 1.01 | 50.7 | 380 | 1997 | - | 0/2 | Development |
* Including suborbital mission
Partial liquid fueled
| Vehicle | Main stages (S:solid / L:liquid) | Origin | Manufacturer | Height (meter) | Diameter (meter) | Weight (ton) | Mass to LEO Low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit is generally defined as an orbit within the locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 2,000 km... (kg) |
Mass to Other Orbit (kg) |
Maiden flight | Retired | Record | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ares I Ares I Ares I was the crew launch vehicle that was being developed by NASA as part of the Constellation Program. The name "Ares" refers to the Greek deity Ares, who is identified with the Roman god Mars... |
1S+1L | Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated... / Boeing Boeing The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001... |
94 | 5.5 | 25000 | (2015) | 0/0 | Development (to be cancelled) | ||||
| Athena I Athena I The Athena I, known as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle at the time of its first flight and Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle at the time of its second flight, is an American small expendable launch system which was used for four launches between 1995 and 2001, and which is scheduled to return to service... |
2S+1L | Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... |
1995 | 2001 | 3/4 | Retired | ||||||
| Athena Ic Athena I The Athena I, known as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle at the time of its first flight and Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle at the time of its second flight, is an American small expendable launch system which was used for four launches between 1995 and 2001, and which is scheduled to return to service... |
2S+1L | Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated... |
(2012) | 0/0 | Development | |||||||
| Athena II Athena II The Athena II is an American small expendable launch system which was used for three launches between 1998 and 1999, and which is scheduled to return to service in 2012. It is a member of the Athena family of rockets, along with the smaller Athena I... |
3S+1L | Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... |
30.5 | 2.36 | 120.2 | 1896 | 1998 | 1999 | 2/3 | Retired | ||
| Athena IIc Athena II The Athena II is an American small expendable launch system which was used for three launches between 1998 and 1999, and which is scheduled to return to service in 2012. It is a member of the Athena family of rockets, along with the smaller Athena I... |
3S+1L | Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area.... Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Alliant Techsystems Inc., most commonly known by its ticker symbol, ', is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the United States with more than 18,000 employees in 22 states, Puerto Rico and internationally, and 2010 revenues in excess of an estimated... |
(2012) | 0/0 | Development | |||||||
| Minotaur IV Minotaur IV Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is operated by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle... HAPS Haps Haps is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Cuijk, about 5 km south of the town of Cuijk.Haps was a separate municipality until 1994, when it became a part of Cuijk.... |
Orbital Sciences | 23.88 | 2.34 | 86.3 | 2010 | - | 1/1 | Active | ||||
| 3-stage PSLV | 2S+1L | ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore... |
2.8 | 500 | - | - | 0/0 | Development | ||||
| Vega Vega (launcher) Vega is an expendable launch system being developed for Arianespace jointly by the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency. Development began in 1998 and the first launch, which will take place from the Guiana Space Centre, is planned for early 2012... |
3S+1L | ESA European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... / ISA Italian Space Agency The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy... |
30 | 3 | 137 | 2000(?) | SSO: 1500 | (2009) | - | 0/0 | Development |