Launch vehicle
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A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload (a crewed spacecraft or satellites) 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.[1] Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies, which contribute to high operating costs.
An
Practical orbital launch vehicles use
Launch vehicles are classified by their orbital payload capacity, ranging from small-, medium-, heavy- to super-heavy lift.
History
Mass to orbit
Launch vehicles are classed by NASA according to low Earth orbit payload capability:[7]
- Small-lift launch vehicle: < 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) - e.g. Vega[8]
- Soyuz ST[9]
- Super-heavy lift vehicle: > 50,000 kilograms (110,000 lb) - e.g. Saturn V[10]
Sounding rockets are similar to small-lift launch vehicles, however they are usually even smaller and do not place payloads into orbit. A modified SS-520 sounding rocket was used to place a 4-kilogram payload (TRICOM-1R) into orbit in 2018.[11]
General information
For example, the
Launch platform locations
Launchpads can be located on land (
Flight regimes
A launch vehicle will start off with its payload at some location on the surface of the Earth. To reach orbit, the vehicle must travel vertically to leave the
Launch vehicles provide varying degrees of performance. For example, a satellite bound for
Distributed launch
Distributed launch involves the accomplishment of a goal with multiple spacecraft launches. A large spacecraft such as the
Mission architectures for distributed launch were explored in the 2000s[14] and launch vehicles with integrated distributed launch capability built in began development in 2017 with the
Return to launch site
After 1980, but before the 2010s, two orbital launch vehicles developed the capability to return to the launch site (RTLS). Both the US Space Shuttle—with one of its abort modes[16][17]—and the Soviet Buran[18] had a designed-in capability to return a part of the launch vehicle to the launch site via the mechanism of
In the 2000s, both SpaceX and Blue Origin have privately developed a set of technologies to support vertical landing of the booster stage of a launch vehicle. After 2010, SpaceX undertook a
Both Blue Origin and SpaceX also have additional reusable launch vehicles under development. Blue is developing the first stage of the orbital New Glenn LV to be reusable, with first flight planned for no earlier than 2024. SpaceX has a new super-heavy launch vehicle under development for missions to interplanetary space. The SpaceX Starship is designed to support RTLS, vertical-landing and full reuse of both the booster stage and the integrated second-stage/large-spacecraft that are designed for use with Starship.[24] Its first launch attempt took place in April 2023; however, both stages were lost during ascent.[citation needed]
See also
- Air launch to orbit
- List of orbital launch systems
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
- List of canceled launch vehicle designs
- List of human spaceflights
- Timeline of spaceflight
- Rocket launch
- Space logistics
- Space exploration
- NewSpace
- Nuclear thermal rocket
Notes
- ^
- Tsiolkovsky, 1903, Exploration of Outer Space by Means of Rocket Devices
- Goddard, 1919, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes
- Oberth, 1923, Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen
References
- ^ "NASA Kills 'Wounded' Launch System Upgrade at KSC". Florida Today. Archived from the original on 2002-10-13.
- ^ Hill, James V. H. (April 1999), "Getting to Low Earth Orbit", Space Future, archived from the original on 2012-03-19, retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ "Sputnik | Satellites, History, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com.
- ^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2000). Challenge To Apollo: The Soviet Union and The Space Race, 1945-1974.
- ^ "Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space". NASA. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ "This Day in History: Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman in space". History.com. June 16, 1963. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps - Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11: "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"
- ^ "Launch services—milestones". Arianespace. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Welcome to French Guiana" (PDF). arianespace.com. Arianespace. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ HSF Final Report: Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation, October 2009, Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, p. 64-66: "5.2.1 The Need for Heavy Lift ... require a “super heavy-lift” launch vehicle ... range of 25 to 40 mt, setting a notional lower limit on the size of the super heavy-lift launch vehicle if refueling is available ... this strongly favors a minimum heavy-lift capacity of roughly 50 mt ..."
- ^ "SS-520". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
- ^ Lindsey, Clark (28 March 2013). "SpaceX moving quickly towards fly-back first stage". NewSpace Watch. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
- ^ Kutter, Bernard; Monda, Eric; Wenner, Chauncey; Rhys, Noah (2015). Distributed Launch - Enabling Beyond LEO Missions (PDF). AIAA 2015. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Chung, Victoria I.; Crues, Edwin Z.; Blum, Mike G.; Alofs, Cathy (2007). An Orion/Ares I Launch and Ascent Simulation - One Segment of the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES) (PDF). AIAA 2007. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (29 September 2017). "Musk unveils revised version of giant interplanetary launch system". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ "Return to Launch Site". NASA.gov. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "Space Shuttle Abort Evolution" (PDF). ntrs.nasa.gov. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Archived from the originalon April 15, 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Newcomb, Alyssa; Dooley, Erin (21 December 2015). "SpaceX Historic Rocket Landing Is a Success". ABC News. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ Sparks, Daniel (17 August 2016). "SpaceX Lands 6th Rocket, Moves Closer to Reusability". Los Motley Fool. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ Gebhardt, Chris (February 5, 2018). "SpaceX successfully debuts Falcon Heavy in demonstration launch from KSC – NASASpaceFlight.com". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (22 January 2016). "Blue Origin reflies New Shepard suborbital vehicle". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (5 October 2016). "lue Origin successfully tests New Shepard abort system". SpaceNews. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ Foust, Jeff (15 October 2017). "Musk offers more technical details on BFR system - SpaceNews.com". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved February 23, 2018.