This document is the start of a comparison of current and historic launch vehicles.
For more details on specific launch systems, see the links interspersed below. Also, see the Encylopedia Astronautica, which is my source for much of the data on historic launch systems.
Last updated on 2007-01-20.
| Name | Manufacturer | Family | First Launch | Last Launch | Max Payload to LEO[1] kg(lbs) | Max Payload to GTO kg(lbs) | Payload Diameter (meters) | Man Rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ariane 1 | Arianespace | Ariane 1 | 12/24/1979 | 2/22/1986 | 1,850 | 3.8 | No | |
| Ariane 2 | Arianespace | Ariane 2/3 | 5/31/1986 | 4/2/1989 | 3.8 | No | ||
| Ariane 3 | Arianespace | Ariane 2/3 | 8/4/1984 | 6/12/1989 | 2,580 | 3.8 | No | |
| Ariane 4 AR 40 | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 1/22/1990 | 12/3/1999 | 2,175 | 4 | No | |
| Ariane 4 AR 42P | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 10/20/1990 | 5/4/2002 | 6,600 | 2,890 | 4 | No |
| Ariane 4 AR 42L | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 5/12/1993 | 1/23/2002 | 7,900 | 3,590 | 4 | No |
| Ariane 4 AR 44P | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 4/4/1991 | 9/25/2002 | 7,600 | 3,465 | 4 | No |
| Ariane 4 AR 44LP | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 6/15/1988 | 11/27/2001 | 9,100 | 4,290 | 4 | No |
| Ariane 4 AR 44L | Arianespace | Ariane 4 | 6/5/1989 | 2/15/2003 | 10,200 | 4,790 | 4 | No |
| Ariane 5 | Arianespace | Ariane 5 | 6/4/1996 | current | No | |||
| Ariane 5 Versatile | Arianespace | Ariane 5 | current | 7300/8000[2] | 4/?[2] | No | ||
| Ariane 5 ESC-A | Arianespace | Ariane 5 | 2002? | current | 10,000/10,500[2] | 4/?[2] | No | |
| Ariane 5 ESC-B | Arianespace | Ariane 5 | planned 2006 | current | 11,000/12,000[2] | 4/?[2] | No | |
| Mercury/Atlas D | General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) | Atlas | 7/1959 | 11/7/1967 | 1,360 | Yes | ||
| Atlas E | General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) | Atlas | 11/29/1960 | 3/24/1995 | 820 | 3.1 | No | |
| Atlas F | General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) | Atlas | 8/8/1961 | 6/23/1981 | 820 | 3.1 | No | |
| Atlas/Agena | General Dynamics (now Lockheed-Martin) | Atlas | ||||||
| Atlas/Centaur | Atlas | |||||||
| Atlas I | Atlas | |||||||
| Atlas II | Lockheed Martin | Atlas II | 3/1998? | |||||
| Atlas II A | Lockheed Martin | Atlas II | 12/4/2002? | |||||
| Atlas II AS | Lockheed Martin | Atlas II | 12/15/1993 | 8/31/2004 | 3,833 kg (8,450 lb) | 3.05 | No | |
| Atlas III | Lockheed Martin | Atlas III | 5/24/2000 | 2/3/2005 | ||||
| Atlas V 401/402 | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | 8/21/2002 | current | 12,500 (27,558) | 4,950 (10,913) | 4 | No |
| Atlas V 431 | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | 3/11/05 | current | 7,640 (16,843) | 4 | No | |
| Atlas V 501/502 | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | TBD | current | 10,300 (22,707) | 3,970 (8,752) | 5 | No |
| Atlas V 521 | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | 7/17/2003 | current | 5 | No | ||
| Atlas V 551/552 | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | TBD | current | 20,520 (45,238) | 8,670 (19,114) | 5 | No |
| Atlas V Heavy (proposed) | Lockheed Martin | Atlas V | TBD | (est 50,000) | 5 | No | ||
| Aurora | RSC Energia | |||||||
| Buran/Energia | RSC Energia | 11/15/1988 | 11/15/1988 | |||||
| CaLV | NASA plan | 201? | proposed | 100,000 (projected) | ||||
| CZ-2C | CALT (China) | Long March | 11/1975 | current | 2,500 (5,500) | 3.35 | No | |
| CZ-2D | CALT (China) | Long March | 8/1992 | current | 3,500 (7,700) | 3.35 | No | |
| CZ-2E | CALT (China) | Long March | 7/1990 | current | 9,200 (20,200) | 3,370 (7,420) | No | |
| CZ-2F ("Shenjian") | CALT (China) | Long March | 11/1999 | current | 8,400 (18,500) | 3,500 (7,700) | Yes | |
| CZ-3 | CALT (China) | Long March | 1/1984 | current | 4,800 (10,500) | 1,400 (3,000) | 3.35 | No |
| CZ-4 | CALT (China) | Long March | 9/1988 | 9/1990 | 4,680 (10,310) | 1,000 (2,400) | 3.35 | No |
| Delta | ||||||||
| Delta 2 | ||||||||
| Delta 2 Heavy | Boeing | 7/7/03 | ||||||
| Delta 3 | Boeing | |||||||
| Delta IV Medium | Boeing | Delta IV | 3/10/2003 | current | 8,120(17,900) | 4,210(9,285) | 4 | No |
| Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) | Boeing | Delta IV | 10/20/2002 | current | 10,430(23,000) | 5,845(12,890) | 5 | No |
| Delta IV Medium+ (5, 2) | Boeing | Delta IV | TBD | current | 7980(17,500) | 4,640(10,230) | 5 | No |
| Delta IV Medium+ (5, 4) | Boeing | Delta IV | TBD | current | 11,475(25,300) | 6,565(14,475) | 5 | No |
| Delta IV Heavy | Boeing | Delta IV | 12/21/2004 | current | 23,040(50,800) | 13,130(28,950) | 5 | No |
| Dnepr (R-36M2) | RSC Energia | R-36 | ||||||
| Falcon 1 | SpaceX | Falcon | 3/2006 | current | 570 | 1.5 | no | |
| Falcon 5 | SpaceX | Falcon | 2008?9? | current | 4,100 | 1,050 | 3.6 | no |
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | Falcon | sched. 2007 | current | 9,300 | 3,400 | 3.6 | no |
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | Falcon | sched. 2009 | current | 8,000 (17,600) | 3,100 | 5.2 | no |
| Falcon 9 S5 | SpaceX | Falcon | sched. 2009 | current | 16,500 | 6,400 | 5.2 | no |
| Falcon 9 S9 | SpaceX | Falcon | sched. 2009 | current | 24,750 | 9,650 | 5.2 | no |
| H2 2024 | JSA (Japan) | H | 8/29/2001 | current | 11,730 | 5,000 | 4 | No |
| H2 212 | JSA (Japan) | H | TBD | current | 17,280 | 7,500 | 4 | No |
| Kosmos 3M | Ukraine | R-14 | 5/1967 | current | 1,500 (3,300) | 2.4 | No | |
| Kvant | RSC Energia | |||||||
| Long March (see CZ-2C, D, etc.) | ||||||||
| Molniya | RSC Energia | R7 | ||||||
| Proton 8K32 | RSC Energia | Proton | 7/15/1965 | 7/6/1966 | 8,400 | 4.3 | No | |
| Proton 8K82K 11S824 | RSC Energia | Proton | 3/10/1967 | 10/16/1975 | ||||
| Proton 8K82K | RSC Energia | Proton | 12/16/1968 | current | 19,760 | 4.2 | No | |
| Proton K/Block DM | RSC Energia | Proton | 19,760 (46,999) | 4,930 (10,868) | No | |||
| Proton KM/Breeze M | RSC Energia | Proton | 6/5/1999 | current | 21,000 | 5,500 (12,125) | 4.35 | No |
| Saturn IB | NASA/MSFC | Saturn | 2/26/1966 | 7/15/1975 | 19,000 | 6.61 | Yes | |
| Saturn V | NASA/MSFC[3] | Saturn | 11/9/1967 | 4/14/1973 | 118,000 (260,145) | 10/6.61[4] | Yes | |
| Sealaunch (see Zenit) | ||||||||
| Shuttle | Rockwell (now Boeing) |
STS | 4/12/1981 | current | (~47,000) | 4[5] | Yes | |
| Shuttle Cargo Carrier | STS | proposed | 72,575 (160,000) | No | ||||
| Sputnik | NII-88 (Korolev) (now RSC Energia) | R7 | 5/15/1957 | 2/27/1961 | 500 | 3 | No | |
| Soyuz | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | ||||||
| Soyuz-Ikar | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | 4100 | |||||
| Soyuz-Fregat | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | 2000 | 5000 | ||||
| Soyuz/ST | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | current | |||||
| Soyuz/ST-Ikar | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | current | |||||
| Soyuz/ST-Fregat | RSC Energia | Soyuz/R7 | current | |||||
| Titan 2[6] | Martin (now Lockheed-Martin) | Titan 2 | 3/16/1962 | 10/14/2003 | 4,200 (1909) | 3 | Yes | |
| Titan 2 w/Strap On Booster[7] |
Martin (now Lockheed-Martin) | Titan 2 | -- | -- | 7,800 (3545.5) | 3 | ||
| Titan 3 | Martin Marietta (now Lockheed-Martin) | Titan 3 | ||||||
| Titan 4 | Titan 4 | 6/14/1989 | 8/12/1998 | 17,700 | 6,350 | 4.3 | No | |
| Titan 4 B | Titan IV | 2/23/1997 | sched. 6/30/2005 | 21,680 | 5,760 | No | ||
| Titan IV B/Centaur | Titan IV | current | (47,800)[8] | (12,700) | 5.57 | No | ||
| Tsyklon | Ukraine NSA | R-36 | ||||||
| Vostok | RSC Energia | R7 | ||||||
| Zenit (Sealaunch) |
RSC Energia | Energia | 4/1985 | current | 4.15 | No |
This chart makes the assumption that manufacturer's Low Earth Orbit numbers are directly comparable, which they may not be. Orbital inclinations and altitudes may vary. See [8] below.
The Speltra and Sylda delivery systems allow Ariane 5 to deliver two satellites to GTO with a weight penalty of between 500 and 1000kg, depending on which upper stage is used.
Payload diameter is limited to 4m when Speltra or Sylda is used.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center served as the integrator. The first stage was built by Boeing, the second by North American, and the third by Douglas Aircraft.
The diameter of the SIVB third state was 6.61 Meters. The diameter of the SII second stage was 10 Meters. In some proposed but never launched configurations, payloads of up to 10 Meters were considered (in particular, certain late 60s space station proposals planned on using 10 Meter segments launched using the first two stages of the Saturn V.)
Shuttle payload diameter is limited to 4m by size of cargo bay.
The Titan 2 was originally an ICBM. Titan 2s were man-rated for use in Gemini. Titan 2 ICBMs that were decommissioned in the 80s are being refurbished as space launch systems by Lockheed-Martin, for launchs into polar low earth orbit from Vandenburg.
It is unclear if this proposed configuration was ever used.
There are significant differences in the payload that may be placed into low earth orbit from, say, the Cape, and into polar orbit from Vandenburg. According to Lockheed-Martin, a Titan IV/B-Centaur can place 47,800 lbs into low earth orbit from the Cape but only 38,800 lbs into a low polar orbit from Vandenburg.