Comparison of orbital launch systems
This is a comparison of orbital launch systems. The following exposes the full list of conventional orbital launch systems. For the short simple list of conventional launcher families, see: Comparison of orbital launchers families.
Spacecraft propulsion[note 1] is any method used to accelerate spacecraft and artificial satellites. A conventional solid rocket or a conventional solid-fuel rocket is a rocket with a motor that uses solid propellants (fuel/oxidizer).[note 2] Orbital launch systems are rockets and other systems capable of placing payloads into or beyond Earth orbit. All current spacecraft use conventional chemical rockets (bipropellant or solid-fuel) for launch, though some[note 3] have used air-breathing engines on their first stage.[note 4]
Legend for orbit abbreviations in table: Template:MultiCol
- GEO - Geostationary orbit
- GSO - Geosynchronous orbit
- GTO - Geostationary transfer orbit
| class="col-break " |
- HCO - Heliocentric orbit
- HEO - High Earth orbit
- LEO - Low Earth orbit
| class="col-break " |
- MEO - Medium Earth orbit
- SSO - Sun-synchronous orbit
- TLI - Trans Lunar Injection
Legend for launch system status in below table: [under development] — [retired] — [operational]
Proposed and design concepts
See also
Notes
- ^ There are many different methods. Each method has drawbacks and advantages, and spacecraft propulsion is an active area of research. However, most spacecraft today are propelled by forcing a gas from the back/rear of the vehicle at very high speed through a supersonic de Laval nozzle. This sort of engine is called a rocket engine.
- ^ The first medieval rockets were solid-fuel rockets powered by gunpowder; they were used by the Chinese, Indians, Mongols and Arabs, in warfare as early as the 13th century.
- ^ Such as the Pegasus rocket and SpaceShipOne.
- ^ Most satellites have simple reliable chemical thrusters (often monopropellant rockets) or resistojet rockets for orbital station-keeping and some use momentum wheels for attitude control. Soviet bloc satellites have used electric propulsion for decades, and newer Western geo-orbiting spacecraft are starting to use them for north-south stationkeeping and orbit raising. Interplanetary vehicles mostly use chemical rockets as well, although a few have used ion thrusters and Hall effect thrusters (two different types of electric propulsion) to great success.
- ^ A full listing of the Ariane 5 launch history is in its main article.
- ^ Suborbital test in 1969, first orbital launch attempt in 1970
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l With 9.5 foot (2.9 metre) fairing
- ^ No flights planned, but 5 unsold heavies could be used.
- ^ Without Buran, and assuming payload providing orbital insertion
- ^ a b The US Space Shuttle Transportation System and the Soviet Energia-Buran system, consist of launch vehicle rockets and returnable spaceplane orbiter. Payload values listed here are for the mass of the payload in cargo bay of the spaceplanes, excluding the mass of the spaceplanes themselves.
- ^ Not including two launches made using the H-II/SSB and H-IIS configurations
- ^ Only launch failed to achieve orbit
- ^ Suborbital test flights in 1995, 1997 and 2002, no orbital launches attempted
- ^ The N1 rocket was initially designed for 75mt LEO capacity and launch attempts were made with this version, but there were studies to increase the payload capacity to 90—95 mt, if a liquid-hydrogen upper stage engine could be developed.
- ^ The Saturn V made 13 launches, 12 of which reached the correct orbits, and the other (Apollo 6) reached a different orbit than the one which had been planned; however, some mission objectives could still be completed; NASA, Saturn V News Reference, Appendix: Saturn V Flight History (1968). For more information, see the Saturn V article. The Saturn V launch record is usually quoted as having never failed, e.g. "The rocket was masterminded by Wernher Von Braun and did not fail in any of its flights", Alan Lawrie and Robert Godwin; Saturn, but the Apollo 6 launch should be considered a partial mission failure. The 13th launch of Saturn V was in special configuration (SA-513) with the Skylab.
- ^ Suborbital test flight in 2004, first orbital launch in 2006
- ^ A third rocket exploded before launch
- ^ First orbital launch attempt in 2005
- ^ a b Operated by Land Launch
- ^ Operated by Sea Launch
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