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, 
R-56, NEXUS, Paektusan-1, Pegasus II, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-QL, Polyot, Proton-K, Proton, Qased, Mu, Rokot, RSA-3, Safir, Satellite Launch Vehicle, Saturn I, Saturn, Saturn V, Scout B1, LGM-25C Titan II, Kosmos-3M, Kosmos-3, Kosmos 63S1, Kosmos, Kuaizhou 1A, Kuaizhou, Lambda 4S, LauncherOne, Scout B, Little Joe II, Little Joe, M-4S, Mayak, Mercury-Jupiter, Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle, micro-launcher, Minotaur II, Vector-R, Titan, Titan V, Tronador II, Troposphère 4, Troposphère, Tropotest, Universal Rocket, Vector-H, Titan 3B-2, Vikram, Volga, Volna, Zenit-3SLB, Vega flight VV23, Energia-M, Nova, Vega-C flight VV25, Start-1, Scout G-1, Scout, Scout X-2, Shtil', Simorgh, Soyuz, Soyuz-U, Sparta, Kaituozhe-2, Streaker, Strela, super heavy-lift, Thor-Agena, Thor, Tianzhou, Titan 34D, Athena, Ariane 2, Ariane 4, Ariane 5 ECA, Ariane 5ES, Ariane 5G, Ariane 6, Ariane Next, Ariane, Ariane 1, Atlas-Able, Atlas-Agena, Atlas-D Able, Atlas IIAS, Atlas IIIA, Atlas IIIB, Atlas I, Atlas, 17K-AM, Falcon 1, Falcon 5, Falcon 9 Air, Falcon 9 v1.1, Falcon, Interplanetary Transport System, Mars Colonial Transporter, SpaceXs, Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR, Angara-1.2, Angara 3, Angara-A5, Angara, Ares IV, Ares I-X, Ares I-Y, Ares V-Y, HEAT-1X Tycho Brahe, DIRECT, Energia, Europa II, Firefly Alpha, Firefly, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV Mark-II, H3 Launch Vehicle, Diamant, H-I, Hyperbola-1, Hyperbola-1S, Hyperbola-2, Hyperbola-3, Jenisej, J-I, Jupiter, Delta 3000, Atlas V 421, Atlas V 551, Atlas V, Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle, Black Arrow, CALLISTO, Capricornio, Delta 2000, Falcon 1e, Delta A, Delta B, Delta F, Delta G, Delta J, Delta M, Delta, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

• 

  Vega flight VV23 ⓘ
  Space launch

• 

  Vega flight VV24 ⓘ
  Space launch

• 

  Vega-C flight VV25 ⓘ
  Space launch

• 

  Vega-C flight VV26 ⓘ
  space launch

• 

  Vega-C flight VV27 ⓘ
  space launch

• 

  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

• 

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

• 

  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

• 

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

• 

  KSLV-II Nuri ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle in south korea

• 

  KSLV-S ⓘ
  proposed South Korean small satellite launch vehicle

• 

  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

• 

  NEXUS ⓘ
  concept design for a rocket (never built)

• 

  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

• 

  Titan ⓘ
  American rocket family

• 

  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

• 

  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

• 

  Falcon ⓘ
  launch vehicles developed and operated by SpaceX

• 

  Space One KAIROS ⓘ
  Japanese private small-lift orbital rocket

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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

• National Security Space Launch - space launch vehicle program of the United States Space Force
• National Security Space Launch - space launch vehicle program of the United States Space Force

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	orbit		Vega flight VV23	Vega, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Vega flight VV24	Vega, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Vega-C flight VV25	Vega C, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Vega-C flight VV26	Vega C, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight,	Wikidata
class	orbit		Vega-C flight VV27	Vega C, launch vehicle, space launch, spaceflight,	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		Delta IV Heavy	Delta, heavy-lift launch vehicle, liquid-propellant rocket,	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		KSLV-I Naro	launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket		KSLV-II Nuri	launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket		KSLV-S	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		NEXUS	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	launch vehicle, spacecraft,	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	launch vehicle, proposed entity,	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	cargo spacecraft, launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket		Titan	launch vehicle,	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	R-29R Volna, launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket		Zéphyr	small-lift launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket	1958	Nova	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	2006	Falcon	launch vehicle,	Wikidata
class	rocket	2024	Space One KAIROS	four-stage-to-orbit, launch vehicle, solid-propellant rocket,	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