expendable launch vehicle

An expendable launch system is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of several rocket stages that are discarded sequentially as their fuel is exhausted and the vehicle gains altitude and speed. As of 2024, fewer and fewer satellites and human spacecraft are launched on ELVs in favor of reusable launch vehicles. However, there are many instances where a ELV may still have a compelling use case over a reusable vehicle. ELVs are simpler in design than reusable launch systems and therefore may have a lower production cost. Furthermore, an ELV can use its entire fuel supply to accelerate its payload, offering greater payloads. ELVs are a proven technology in widespread use for many decades.

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Wikidata
ELV; expendable launch system
launch vehicle, 
RM-90 Blue Scout II, Soyuz, SM-65F Atlas, SM-65E Atlas, SM-65D Atlas, SM-65B Atlas, Shavit, Shavit-2, Shavit-1, Scout X-1, RS1, Rocket, Space Launcher System, R-7, R-56, Proton, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, Pegasus, NOTS-EV-2 Caleb, NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, North Korean kerolox space launch vehicle, Mu, Minotaur, Long March, Unha, SPARK, Vega, Republic of Haiti, Zenit, Voskhod, VLS-1, Vikram, Vega, Vega C, Vanguard, Universal Rocket, Lijian-1, Tsyklon, Tsyklon, Tsyklon-4, Tsyklon-3, Tsyklon-2, Troposphère, Thor, Terran 1, Sputnik 8A91, Space Launch System, Tarshish, Atlas-Centaur, Atlas-Agena, Atlas-Able, Ariane, Ares V-Y, Ares V, Ares I-Y, Ares IV, Ares I, Antares, Angara, Atlas E/F, Sweden, Sikh Confederacy, Reman, Persia, Kingdom of Wolaita, Kingdom of Martabam-hongsawatoi, Havilah, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chinland, Calvinist Republic of Ghent, Ashkenaz, Dong Fang Hong 2, launch vehicle, Launch Vehicle Mark III, Lambda, Juno I, Juno II, Jielong-3, H-II, H3 Launch Vehicle, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, Firefly Alpha, Ekran, Falcon 1, Delta, Cyclone-4M, Cyclone-1M, Chŏllima-1, Capricornio, Black Arrow, Atlas SLV-3, Atlas-SLV3 Burner-2, Atlas, Atlas LV-3B, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

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  Angara ⓘ
  family of space-launch vehicles

• 

  Antares ⓘ
  launch vehicle produced by Northrop Grumman from the United States

• 

  Ares I ⓘ
  canceled NASA rocket for project Constellation.

• 

  Ares I-Y ⓘ
  cancelled test rocket in the NASA Constellation program

• 

  Ares IV ⓘ
  cancelled NASA rocket project

• 

  Ares V ⓘ
  canceled rocket from NASA's Constellation program

• 

  Ares V-Y ⓘ
  cancelled maiden flight of the Ares V launch vehicle

• 

  Ariane ⓘ
  European rocket family

• 

  Atlas E/F ⓘ
  type of American expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Atlas LV-3B ⓘ
  American launch system

• 

  Atlas SLV-3 ⓘ
  American launch vehicle

• 

  Atlas-Agena ⓘ
  American expendable launch system

• 

  Atlas-Centaur ⓘ
  series of space launch vehicles

• 

  Atlas-SLV3 Burner-2 ⓘ
  American launch vehicle

• 

  Chŏllima-1 ⓘ
  North Korean space launch vehicle

• 

  Cyclone-1M ⓘ
  proposed Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Cyclone-4M ⓘ
  proposed Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Delta ⓘ
  family of expendable launch systems

• 

  Falcon 1 ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle made by SpaceX, predecessor of Falcon 9

• 

  Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  family of Indian satellite launch vehicles

• 

  H-II ⓘ
  Japanese family of rockets

• 

  H3 Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  Japanese expendable launch system

• 

  Juno I ⓘ
  four-stage American booster rocket

• 

  Juno II ⓘ
  American space launch vehicle used during the late 1950s and early 1960s

• 

  Lambda ⓘ
  series of Japanese rockets

• 

  Launch Vehicle Mark III ⓘ
  launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation

• 

  Long March ⓘ
  Chinese rocket family

• 

  Minotaur ⓘ
  family of American rockets

• 

  North Korean kerolox space launch vehicle ⓘ
  North Korean space launch vehicle

• 

  NOTS-EV-1 Pilot ⓘ
  U.S. expendable launch system

• 

  NOTS-EV-2 Caleb ⓘ
  U.S. military expendable launch system

• 

  Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle ⓘ
  expendable system for launching satellites, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation

• 

  Proton ⓘ
  family of Soviet/Russian launch vehicles

• 

  R-56 ⓘ
  family of Soviet rockets developed by the OKB-586 bureau

• 

  R-7 ⓘ
  rocket family

• 

  Rocket ⓘ
  family of launch vehicles developed by Astra

• 

  Scout X-1 ⓘ
  American expendable launch system and sounding rocket used in the early 1960s

• 

  Space Launch System ⓘ
  NASA's super heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Space Launcher System ⓘ
  1960s-era design program of the US Air Force

• 

  SPARK ⓘ
  American expendable launch system

• 

  Thor ⓘ
  American rocket family

• 

  Troposphère ⓘ
  Congolese rocket family first established in 2007 at private enterprise Développement Tous Azimuts

• 

  Tsyklon ⓘ
  family of Soviet/Ukrainian launch vehicles

• 

  Tsyklon-4 ⓘ
  cancelled Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Universal Rocket ⓘ
  Soviet rocket family

• 

  Vanguard ⓘ
  American small-lift launch vehicle

• 

  Vega ⓘ
  family of European orbital launch vehicles

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  Vikram ⓘ
  Indian rocket family

• 

  VLS-1 ⓘ
  Brazilian Space Agency satellite launcher

• 

  Zenit ⓘ
  rocket for launching satellites

• 

  Atlas ⓘ
  family of American missiles and space launch vehicles

• 

  Sputnik 8A91 ⓘ
  Soviet Union space launch vehicle

• 

  SM-65B Atlas ⓘ
  prototype of the Atlas missile

• 

  SM-65D Atlas ⓘ
  first operational version of the U.S. Atlas missile

• 

  Atlas-Able ⓘ
  American expendable launch system

• 

  SM-65E Atlas ⓘ
  variant of the Atlas missile

• 

  RM-90 Blue Scout II ⓘ
  retired American sounding rocket and orbital launch vehicle

• 

  SM-65F Atlas ⓘ
  variant of the Atlas missile

• 

  Voskhod ⓘ
  Russian launch vehicle

• 

  Mu ⓘ
  series of Japanese solid-fueled carrier rockets

• 

  Soyuz ⓘ
  Russian and Soviet rocket family

• 

  Tsyklon ⓘ
  Soviet expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Tsyklon-2 ⓘ
  Soviet/Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Black Arrow ⓘ
  British satellite carrier rocket developed during the 1960s

• 

  Tsyklon-3 ⓘ
  Soviet/Ukrainian expendable launch vehicle

• 

  Pegasus ⓘ
  air-launched rocket

• 

  Shavit ⓘ
  Israeli small-lift launch vehicle

• 

  Capricornio ⓘ
  cancelled Spanish launch vehicle

• 

  Shavit-1 ⓘ
  Israeli small-lift launch vehicle

• 

  Shavit-2 ⓘ
  small-lift launch vehicle produced by Israel from 1982 onwards

• 

  Unha ⓘ
  family of North Korean expendable launch vehicles

• 

  Vega ⓘ
  retired European expendable orbital launch vehicle

• 

  Firefly Alpha ⓘ
  two-stage orbital launch vehicle

• 

  Lijian-1 ⓘ
  series of Chinese solid-fuel rockets

• 

  Vega C ⓘ
  orbital launch vehicle by the European Space Agency

• 

  Jielong-3 ⓘ
  solid-propellant space launch vehicle of China

• 

  RS1 ⓘ
  American small-lift orbital launch vehicle

• 

  Terran 1 ⓘ
  retired expendable two-stage, 3D-printed, small-lift launch vehicle

Frameless

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
class	rocket		Angara	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Antares	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ares I	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ares I-Y	Ares I	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ares IV	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ares V	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ares V-Y	Ares V	Wikidata
class	rocket		Ariane	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas E/F	SM-65 Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas LV-3B	Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas SLV-3	Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas-Agena	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas-Centaur	Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Atlas-SLV3 Burner-2	Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Chŏllima-1	three-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Cyclone-1M	three-stage-to-orbit, liquid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Cyclone-4M	medium-lift launch vehicle, liquid-propellant rocket, two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Delta	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Falcon 1	Falcon, expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		H-II	two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle, liquid-propellant rocket, medium-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		H3 Launch Vehicle	two-stage-to-orbit, liquid-propellant rocket, medium-lift launch vehicle, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Juno I	expendable launch vehicle, Redstone	Wikidata
class	rocket		Juno II	expendable launch vehicle, PGM-19 Jupiter	Wikidata
class	rocket		Lambda	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Launch Vehicle Mark III	medium-lift launch vehicle, expendable launch vehicle, three-stage-to-orbit	Wikidata
class	rocket		Long March	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Minotaur	solid-propellant rocket, multistage rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		North Korean kerolox space launch vehicle	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		NOTS-EV-1 Pilot	expendable launch vehicle, aerial rocket, anti-satellite weapon	Wikidata
class	rocket		NOTS-EV-2 Caleb	anti-satellite weapon, aerial rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Proton	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		R-56	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		R-7	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Rocket	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Scout X-1	small-lift launch vehicle, sounding rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Space Launch System	expendable launch vehicle, super heavy-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Space Launcher System	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		SPARK	three-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Thor	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Troposphère	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Tsyklon	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Tsyklon-4	three-stage-to-orbit, liquid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Universal Rocket	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vanguard	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vega	expendable launch vehicle, four-stage-to-orbit	Wikidata
class	rocket		Vikram	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		VLS-1	solid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket		Zenit	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1957	Atlas	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1958	Sputnik 8A91	liquid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1958	SM-65B Atlas	SM-65 Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1959	SM-65D Atlas	SM-65 Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1959	Atlas-Able	Atlas, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1960	SM-65E Atlas	expendable launch vehicle, SM-65 Atlas	Wikidata
class	rocket	1961	RM-90 Blue Scout II	solid-propellant rocket, sounding rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1961	SM-65F Atlas	expendable launch vehicle, SM-65 Atlas	Wikidata
class	rocket	1963	Voskhod	expendable launch vehicle, R-7	Wikidata
class	rocket	1966	Mu	solid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1966	Soyuz	R-7, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1967	Tsyklon	two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1967	Tsyklon-2	two-stage-to-orbit, liquid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1969	Black Arrow	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1977	Tsyklon-3	liquid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle, three-stage-to-orbit	Wikidata
class	rocket	1987	Pegasus	expendable launch vehicle, aerial rocket	Wikidata
class	rocket	1988	Shavit	solid-propellant rocket, small-lift launch vehicle, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	1990	Capricornio	three-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2002	Shavit-1	expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle, solid-propellant rocket	Wikidata
class	rocket	2007	Shavit-2	solid-propellant rocket, expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2009	Unha	expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2012	Vega	expendable launch vehicle, four-stage-to-orbit, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2021	Firefly Alpha	small-lift launch vehicle, two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2022	Lijian-1	solid-propellant rocket, small-lift launch vehicle, expendable launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2022	Vega C	expendable launch vehicle, four-stage-to-orbit, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2022	Jielong-3	expendable launch vehicle, solid-propellant rocket, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2023	RS1	two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata
class	rocket	2023	Terran 1	two-stage-to-orbit, expendable launch vehicle, small-lift launch vehicle	Wikidata