# Heavy-lift launch vehicle

A heavy-lift launch vehicle (HLV) is an orbital launch vehicle capable of lifting payloads between 20,000 to 50,000 kg (44,000 to 110,000 lb) (by NASA classification) or between 20,000 to 100,000 kilograms (44,000 to 220,000 lb) (by Russian classification) into low Earth orbit (LEO). Heavy-lift launch vehicles often carry payloads into higher-energy orbits, such as geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) or heliocentric orbit (HCO). An HLV is between a medium-lift launch vehicle and a super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

## History and design
### Government

The first heavy-lift launch vehicles in the 1960s included the US Saturn IB and the Soviet Proton. Saturn IB was designed to carry the Apollo spacecraft into orbit and had increased engine thrust and a redesigned second stage from its predecessor. Proton was originally designed to be a large intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Russia still operates variants of the Proton as of 2024, although it is expected to be phased out in favor of the Angara A5.
NASA introduced the Space Shuttle as the first partially reusable launch vehicle in 1981. The Space Shuttle carried up to eight crew members in addition to deploying heavy payloads to LEO, including space station modules and Department of Defense payloads. Higher-energy orbits for payloads were reached through the use of a kick stage such as the Inertial Upper Stage.
The United States Air Force (USAF) operated the Titan IV to supplement Space Shuttle launches. This was derived from the Titan family of ICBMs and launch vehicles, with upgrades including solid rocket boosters (SRBs), vehicle lengthening, and an optional third stage. The USAF began the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program in 1994 to ensure access to space through contracted launch providers. This led to the development of the Delta IV, with the heavy variant using three first stage cores. United Launch Alliance (ULA) introduced Vulcan Centaur in 2024 as the successor to its Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, with Vulcan featuring a single, wider core and optional SRBs.
China's Long March 5 was introduced in 2016 as the most powerful version of the Long March family. It is notable as a Chinese launch vehicle using non-hypergolic liquid propellants.

### Commercial

The European Ariane 5 first flew in 1996 and launched many commercial payloads to GTO. It benefited in this role by launching from Guiana Space Center, a spaceport near the equator in French territory. Ariane 5 often carried multiple payloads per launch and set records for mass to GTO delivered for commercial payloads.
Falcon 9 was introduced by SpaceX in 2010, designed as a medium-lift launch vehicle with a reusable first stage. Falcon 9 grew more capable through iterative design, with upgrades including improved Merlin engines and the lengthening of both stages. Since the introduction of Falcon 9 Full Thrust in 2015, the vehicle meets the capacity requirements of a heavy-lift vehicle when the first stage is expended. In 2021, Falcon 9 carried a record of 143 satellites into orbit on a single launch. Falcon Heavy uses three first stage boosters similarly to Delta IV Heavy, but requires a strengthened center core. Falcon Heavy made its first flight in 2017 and was most capable operational launch vehicle until NASA's SLS launched in 2022. Falcon Heavy is categorized as a heavy-lift launch vehicle when flown in configuration to recover the center core and both side boosters. When expending the center core or all boosters, its payload to LEO exceeds 50,000 kg, qualifying Falcon Heavy as a super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

## Rated launch vehicles
### Operational

| Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Launches | First flight |
| Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | ...to LEO or MEO | ...to GTO or GSO | ...to HEO and beyond | Launches | First flight |
| Proton-M | Russia | Khrunichev | 23,000 | 20,350 | 6,740 | 3,755 to Mars | 115 | 2001 |
| Angara A5 | Russia | Khrunichev KBKhA | 24,500 | — | 2,400 | — | 4 | 2014 |
| Falcon 9 | United States | SpaceX | 22,800 | 17,400 | 7,076 | 1,108 to HCO | 18 | 2015 (Falcon 9 FT) |
| Long March 5/5B | China | CALT | 25,000 | 23,200 | 14,000 | 8,350 to Moon | 12 | 2016 |
| Falcon Heavy | United States | SpaceX | 38,000+ | 3,700 | 6,465 | 6,000 to Jupiter | 11 | 2018 |
| Vulcan Centaur (VC4, VC6) | United States | ULA | 27,200 | — | — | 1,500 to HCO | 2 | 2024 |
| Ariane 6 (A64) | Europe | ArianeGroup | 21,650 | 1,600 | | | 1 | 2024 |
| New Glenn | United States | Blue Origin | 45,000 | Unknown | — | — | 1 | 2025 |

### Under development

| Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | Expected flight |
| NGLV | India | ISRO | 23,000 | 2031 |
| NGLV-H | India | ISRO | 31,700 | 2032 |
| Zhuque-3 | China | LandSpace | 21,000 | 2025 |
| Gravity-2 | China | Orienspace | 25,600 | 2025 |
| Terran R | United States | Relativity Space | 33,500 | 2026 |
| Angara-A5V | Russia | Khrunichev, Polyot | 38,000 | 2027 |
| H3 Heavy | Japan | Mitsubishi | 28,300 | 2030 |

### Retired

| Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Heaviest launch (kg) | Launches | First flight | Last Flight |
| Vehicle | Origin | Manufacturer | Mass to LEO (kg) | ...to LEO or MEO | ...to GTO or GSO | ...to HEO and beyond | Launches | First flight | Last Flight |
| Saturn IB | United States | Chrysler & Douglas | 21,000 | 20,847 | — | — | 9 | 1966 | 1975 |
| Proton-K | Soviet Union Russia | Khrunichev | 19,760 | 22,776 | 4,723 | 6,220 | 310 | 1967 | 2012 |
| Space Shuttle | United States | USA | 27,500 | 22,753 | Classified | 3,445 to Venus | 135 | 1981 | 2011 |
| Titan IV | United States | Lockheed Martin | 21,680 | ≥ 19,600 | Classified | 5,712 to Saturn | 39 | 1989 | 2005 |
| Ariane 5 ECA/ES | Europe | Ariane Group | 21,000 | 20,293 | 11,210 | 6,161.4 to Sun-Earth L$_2$ | 92 | 2002 | 2023 |
| Delta IV Heavy | United States | ULA | 28,790 | < 21,000 | Classified | 685 to heliocentric orbit | 16 | 2004 | 2024 |