launch vehicle

A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage rocket, but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling. Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies, which contribute to high operating costs.

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Wikimedia, Wikidata
carrier rocket, space launch vehicle, transfer segment
rocket, 
Satellite Launch Vehicle, Proton-K, Proton, Qased, R-36, R-56, reusable, Rokot, RSA-3, Rus-M, Safir, Polyot, Saturn I, Saturn, Saturn V, Scout B1, Scout B, Scout G-1, Scout, Scout X-2, Shtil', Simorgh, Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, Kuaizhou, Lambda 4S, LauncherOne, LGM-25C Titan II, Little Joe II, Little Joe, M-4S, Mayak, medium-lift, Mercury-Jupiter, single-stage-to-orbit, micro-launcher, Minotaur II, Miura, Mu, NEXUS, N-II, OmegA, Paektusan-1, Pegasus II, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-QL, Vega flight VV24, Vector-H, Vector-R, Vikram, Volga, Volna, Zenit-3SLB, Zéphyr, Vega flight VV23, Energia-M, Nova, Universal Rocket, Vega-C flight VV25, Angara-A3, Chinese, Kuaizhou-11, Payload Launch Vehicle, Ravn, SS-520-4, Vikram, Vega-C flight VV26, Vega-C flight VV27, Thor-Agena, small-lift, Soyuz, Soyuz-U, Space One KAIROS, Sparta, Start-1, Streaker, Strela, super heavy-lift, Thorad-Agena D, Kuaizhou 1A, Thor, Tianzhou, Titan 34D, Titan 3B-2, Titan, Titan V, Tronador II, Troposphère 4, Troposphère, Tropotest, Atlas IIIB, Ariane 5G, Ariane 6, Ariane Next, Ariane, Athena, Atlas-Able, Atlas-Agena, Atlas-D Able, Atlas IIAS, Atlas IIIA, Ariane 5ES, Atlas I, Atlas, Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR, Atlas V 421, Atlas V 551, Atlas V, Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, Black Arrow, CALLISTO, Capricornio, Angara 3, Falcon 1, Falcon 5, Falcon 9 Air, Falcon 9 v1.1, Falcon, Interplanetary Transport System, Mars Colonial Transporter, SpaceXs, 17K-AM, Angara-1.2, Ceres-1, Angara-A5, Angara, Ares IV, Ares I-X, Ares I-Y, Ares V-Y, Ariane 1, Ariane 2, Ariane 4, Ariane 5 ECA, Jenisej, GSLV Mark-II, H3 Launch Vehicle, HEAT-1X Tycho Brahe, heavy-lift, H-I, Hyperbola-1, Hyperbola-1S, Hyperbola-2, Hyperbola-3, Irtysh, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, J-I, Jupiter, Kaituozhe-2, Kosmos-3M, Kosmos-3, Kosmos 63S1, Kosmos, KSLV-II Nuri, KSLV-I Naro, KSLV-S, Diamant, Delta 0100, Delta 2000, Delta 3000, Delta A, Delta B, Delta F, Delta G, Delta IV Heavy, Delta J, Delta M, Falcon 1e, DIRECT, Dnepr-1, Energia, Epsilon, Europa II, Europa, expendable, Feng Bao 1, Firefly Alpha, Firefly, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

• 

  NEXUS ⓘ
  concept design for a rocket (never built)

• 

  17K-AM ⓘ
  experimental Russian orbital vehicle

• 

  Angara 3 ⓘ
  

• 

  Angara-A3 ⓘ
  

• 

  Athena ⓘ
  Lockheed Martin expendable launch system

• 

  Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  five-stage solid propellant rocket

• 

  CALLISTO ⓘ
  launch vehicle

• 

  Ceres-1 ⓘ
  Chinese launch vehicle

• 

  Chinese launch vehicle ⓘ
  

• 

  Delta 0100 ⓘ
  American expendable launch system

• 

  Diamant ⓘ
  French expendable satellite launcher

• 

  Energia ⓘ
  Soviet launch vehicle

• 

  Energia-M ⓘ
  planned Russian launch vehicle

• 

  Epsilon ⓘ
  Japanese satellite launch rocket

• 

  expendable launch vehicle ⓘ
  space launch vehicle that is expended after use

• 

  Falcon 9 Air ⓘ
  proposed air-launched space launch vehicle designed by SpaceX of the United States

• 

  Feng Bao 1 ⓘ
  Chinese carrier rocket

• 

  Firefly ⓘ
  launch vehicle

• 

  GSLV Mark-II ⓘ
  

• 

  H-I ⓘ
  Japanese liquid-fuelled carrier rocket

• 

  HEAT-1X Tycho Brahe ⓘ
  Dutch rocket and human-rated spacecraft built by Copenhagen Suborbitals

• 

  heavy-lift launch vehicle ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting heavy payloads to low-Earth orbit

• 

  Hyperbola-1 ⓘ
  Chinese rocket

• 

  Hyperbola-1S ⓘ
  single stage, solid-fueled test rocket

• 

  Hyperbola-2 ⓘ
  

• 

  Hyperbola-3 ⓘ
  two-stage, liquid-fueled, reusable rocket

• 

  Irtysh ⓘ
  Proposed Russian heavy-lift rocket

• 

  J-I ⓘ
  Japanese solid-fuel launch vehicle

• 

  Jenisej ⓘ
  Russian superheavy launch space rocket

• 

  Kaituozhe-2 ⓘ
  Chinese space launch vehicle

• 

  Kosmos ⓘ
  Soviet and subsequently Russian rocket

• 

  Kuaizhou ⓘ
  family of Chinese "quick-reaction" orbital launch vehicles

• 

  Kuaizhou 1A ⓘ
  

• 

  Kuaizhou-11 ⓘ
  

• 

  LauncherOne ⓘ
  launch vehicle from Virgin Orbit

• 

  LGM-25C Titan II ⓘ
  1962 intercontinental ballistic missile and space launcher by the Glenn L. Martin Company

• 

  Little Joe ⓘ
  solid-fuel booster rocket used during Project Mercury

• 

  Little Joe II ⓘ
  American rocket type

• 

  Mayak ⓘ
  launch vehicle

• 

  medium-lift launch vehicle ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting moderate payloads to low-Earth orbit

• 

  Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  1960s American crewed suborbital rocket

• 

  Miura ⓘ
  family of European launch vehicles by PLD Space

• 

  N-II ⓘ
  Japanese launch vehicle

• 

  OmegA ⓘ
  canceled American launch vehicle

• 

  Paektusan-1 ⓘ
  model of North Korean space launch vehicle

• 

  Payload Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  suborbital launch vehicle operated as part of the National Missile Defense test program

• 

  Pegasus II ⓘ
  air-launched orbital rocket

• 

  Polyot ⓘ
  space rocket

• 

  Proton ⓘ
  two-stage prototype version of the Soviet Proton carrier rocket used to launch satellites into space

• 

  Qased ⓘ
  Satellite launch vehicle from Iran

• 

  Ravn ⓘ
  

• 

  reusable launch vehicle ⓘ
  space launch vehicle designed to be partially or fully reused

• 

  Rokot ⓘ
  Russian space launch vehicle

• 

  RSA-3 ⓘ
  launch vehicle designed in South Africa

• 

  Rus-M ⓘ
  canceled Russian proposal for a crewed launch vehicle

• 

  Safir ⓘ
  Iranian satellite rocket

• 

  Satellite Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  first launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation

• 

  Saturn ⓘ
  family of American rocket boosters

• 

  Scout ⓘ
  family of American rockets

• 

  Scout G-1 ⓘ
  American solid-propellant space launch vehicle

• 

  Shtil' ⓘ
  modification of the R-29RM submarine-launched ballistic missile, uesd for launching commercial satellites

• 

  Simorgh ⓘ
  Iranian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  single-stage-to-orbit ⓘ
  type of space launch vehicle which does not use a series of stages or boosters to reach orbit

• 

  small-lift launch vehicle ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting small payloads to low-Earth orbit

• 

  SpaceX launch vehicles ⓘ
  launch vehicles developed and operated by SpaceX

• 

  Sparta ⓘ
  three-stage rocket that launched Australia's first Earth satellite, WRESAT, on 29 November 1967

• 

  SS-520-4 ⓘ
  

• 

  Start-1 ⓘ
  Russian satellite launch vehicle

• 

  Streaker ⓘ
  

• 

  Strela ⓘ
  Soviet/Russian carrier rocket

• 

  super heavy-lift launch vehicle ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting very heavy payloads to low-Earth orbit

• 

  Thor-Agena ⓘ
  American orbital launch vehicle

• 

  Thorad-Agena D ⓘ
  rocket developed by the USA, more powerful than the Thor-Agena D

• 

  Tianzhou ⓘ
  Chinese cargo spacecraft

• 

  Tronador II ⓘ
  proposed expendable launch system

• 

  Vector-H ⓘ
  launch vehicle

• 

  Vector-R ⓘ
  launch vehicle

• 

  Vikram ⓘ
  

• 

  Volga ⓘ
  Russian rocket booster

• 

  Volna ⓘ
  space launch vehicle

• 

  Zéphyr ⓘ
  French micro-launcher

• 

  Nova ⓘ
  series of proposed rocket designs

• 

  Titan ⓘ
  American rocket family

• 

  Europa ⓘ
  family of European rockets

• 

  Soyuz-U ⓘ
  Soyuz rocket design variant - Universal

• 

  R-36 ⓘ
  type of intercontinental ballistic missile designed by the Soviet Union

• 

  Dnepr-1 ⓘ
  converted Satan ICBM used as a satellite launch vehicle

• 

  Delta IV Heavy ⓘ
  retired expendable launch system in the Delta rocket family

• 

  Falcon ⓘ
  launch vehicles developed and operated by SpaceX

• 

  KSLV-I Naro ⓘ
  Russo-Korean jointly develeoped small orbital launch vehicle

• 

  KSLV-II Nuri ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle in south korea

• 

  Space One KAIROS ⓘ
  Japanese private small-lift orbital rocket

• 

  KSLV-S ⓘ
  proposed South Korean small satellite launch vehicle

Frameless

Falcon 9 v1.0 in the hangar at CCAFS SLC-40, 2011

Wikipedia Deutsches Museum (14)

Thorad SLV2G Agena D 1966 72A, Corona 111, Mission 1036, 9 august 1966

Crew-5 Falcon 9 B1067 and Dragon C210 Endurance on the launchpad, vertical

SpaceX Demo-2 Rollout (NHQ202005210003)

image of Scout lift off

Orange tank SLS evolution - Post CDR (Spanish)

Atlas Agena D with MIDAS 11 (19 aug 1966)

Launch of NASA Agena Ranger 1 from Pad 12

Space shuttle launch

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	project		NEXUS	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		17K-AM	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Angara 3	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Angara-A3	Angara	Wikidata
class	rocket		Athena	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		CALLISTO	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ceres-1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Chinese launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Delta 0100	Delta	Wikidata
class	rocket		Diamant	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Energia	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Energia-M	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Epsilon	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		expendable launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Falcon 9 Air	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Feng Bao 1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Firefly	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		GSLV Mark-II	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		H-I	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		HEAT-1X Tycho Brahe	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		heavy-lift launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Hyperbola-1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Hyperbola-1S	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Hyperbola-2	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Hyperbola-3	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Irtysh	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		J-I	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Jenisej	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Kaituozhe-2	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Kosmos	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Kuaizhou	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Kuaizhou 1A	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Kuaizhou-11	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		LauncherOne	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		LGM-25C Titan II	intercontinental ballistic missile, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Little Joe	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Little Joe II	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Mayak	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		medium-lift launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Miura	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		N-II	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		OmegA	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Paektusan-1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Payload Launch Vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Pegasus II	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Polyot	R-7	Wikidata
class	rocket		Proton	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Qased	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ravn	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		reusable launch vehicle	spacecraft, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Rokot	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		RSA-3	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Rus-M	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Safir	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Satellite Launch Vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Saturn	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Scout	launch vehicle, multistage rocket	Wikidata
class	rocket		Scout G-1	Scout	Wikidata
class	rocket		Shtil'	R-29RM Shtil, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Simorgh	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		single-stage-to-orbit	proposed entity, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		small-lift launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		SpaceX launch vehicles	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Sparta	Redstone, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		SS-520-4	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Start-1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Streaker	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Strela	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		super heavy-lift launch vehicle	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Thor-Agena	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Thorad-Agena D	Thor-Agena D	Wikidata
class	rocket		Tianzhou	launch vehicle, cargo spacecraft	Wikidata
class	rocket		Tronador II	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vector-H	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vector-R	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vikram	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Volga	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Volna	launch vehicle, R-29R Volna	Wikidata
class	rocket		Zéphyr	small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1958	Nova	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1958	Titan	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1971	Europa	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1973	Soyuz-U	Soyuz	Wikidata
class	rocket	1974	R-36	intercontinental ballistic missile, launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1999	Dnepr-1	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2004	Delta IV Heavy	Delta, liquid-propellant rocket, heavy-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2006	Falcon	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2009	KSLV-I Naro	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2021	KSLV-II Nuri	launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2024	Space One KAIROS	solid-propellant rocket, launch vehicle, four-stage-to-orbit	Wikidata
class	rocket	2029	KSLV-S	launch vehicle	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2023	Vega flight VV23	spaceflight, Vega, launch vehicle, space launch	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2024	Vega flight VV24	Vega, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2024	Vega-C flight VV25	spaceflight, launch vehicle, space launch, Vega C	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2025	Vega-C flight VV26	space launch, Vega C, spaceflight, launch vehicle	Wikidata
event	spaceflight	2025	Vega-C flight VV27	launch vehicle, space launch, Vega C, spaceflight	Wikidata
commons	image		Falcon 9 v1.0 in the hangar at CCAFS SLC-40, 2011		Commons
commons	image		Wikipedia Deutsches Museum (14)		Commons
commons	image		Thorad SLV2G Agena D 1966 72A, Corona 111, Mission 1036, 9 august 1966		Commons
commons	image		Crew-5 Falcon 9 B1067 and Dragon C210 Endurance on the launchpad, vertical		Commons
commons	image		SpaceX Demo-2 Rollout (NHQ202005210003)		Commons
commons	image		image of Scout lift off		Commons
commons	image		Orange tank SLS evolution - Post CDR (Spanish)		Commons
commons	image		Atlas Agena D with MIDAS 11 (19 aug 1966)		Commons
commons	image		Launch of NASA Agena Ranger 1 from Pad 12		Commons
commons	image		Space shuttle launch		Commons