The Annual Compendium

of Commercial Space 

Transportation: 2016

Federal Aviation 

Administration

January 2016
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

i
Contents

ii

About the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space

Transportation (FAA AST) licenses and regulates U.S. commercial space launch 

and reentry activity, as well as the operation of non-federal launch and reentry 

sites, as authorized by Executive Order 12465 and Title 51 United States Code, 

Subtitle V, Chapter 509 (formerly the Commercial Space Launch Act). FAA 

AST’s mission is to ensure public health and safety and the safety of property 

while protecting the national security and foreign policy interests of the United 

States during commercial launch and reentry operations. In addition, FAA AST is 

directed to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and 

reentries. Additional information concerning commercial space transportation 

can be found on FAA AST’s website: 

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Cover art: Phil Smith, The Tauri Group (2015)

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

NOTICE

Use of trade names or names of manufacturers in this document does not

constitute an official endorsement of such products or manufacturers, either expressed 

or implied, by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

Space Transportation Law and Policy

GENERAL CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Introduction

Launch Vehicles

Payloads

Launch and Reentry Sites

2015 Launch Events

Appendices

1

5

9

35

21

39

57

Orbital Launch Vehicle Fact Sheets 68

iii

45
Contents

DETAILED CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

INTRODUCTION.............................................................5

THE SPACE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY......................................9

THE SPACE INDUSTRY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

LAUNCH VEHICLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Typical Launch Vehicle Subsystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Launch Vehicle Integration and Processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Operational Orbital Launch Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Operational Suborbital Launch Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

LAUNCH AND REENTRY SITES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

U.S. Federal Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

FAA AST-Licensed Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Non-Licensed U.S. Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Non-U.S. Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

PAYLOADS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

State of the Payload Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Global Payload Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

U.S. Payload Industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Commercial On-orbit Vehicles and Platforms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

2015 LAUNCH EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

SPACE TRANSPORTATION LAW AND POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

CURRENT LAW AND POLICY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

International Treaties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

U.S. Law and Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (COMSTAC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Purpose, Scope, and 2015 Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

2015 Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

APPENDIX 2: LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

APPENDIX 3: 2015 WORLDWIDE ORBITAL LAUNCH EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ORBITAL LAUNCH VEHICLE FACT SHEETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

iv
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

v
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The size of the global space industry, which combines satellite services and 

ground equipment, government space budgets, and global navigation satellite 

services (GNSS) equipment, is estimated to be about $324 billion. At $95 billion 

in revenues, or about 29 percent, satellite television represents the largest 

segment of activity. Following this is government space budgets at $76 billion, 

or 24 percent, and services enabled by GNSS represent, about $76 billion in 

revenues. Commercial satellite remote sensing companies generated on $1.6 

billion in revenues, but the value added services enabled by these companies 

is believed to be magnitudes larger. Because remote sensing value added 

services includes imagery and data analytics from other sources beyond spacebased platforms, only the satellite remote sensing component is included in the 

global space industry total.

All of this activity would not be possible without orbital launch services. 

Global launch services is estimated to account for $6 billion of the $324 

billion total. Most of this launch activity is captive; that is, the majority of 

payload operators have existing agreements with launch service providers 

or do not otherwise “shop around” for a launch. About a third of this $6 

billion represents internationally competed, or commercial, transactions. 

In 2015, there were a total of 86 orbital launches conducted by service 

providers in seven countries. This figure is elaborated upon in greater 

detail later in this report, but there are some interesting events worthy of 

note. Since 2014, U.S. providers have begun to cut into the existing share 

of commercial launches occupied by Russian providers. This is mostly 

due to a combination of factors. First is the entrance of Space Exploration 

Technologies (SpaceX), which has been offering its Falcon 9 and Falcon 

Heavy vehicles to the global market at low prices, attracting significant 

business. In addition, launch failures, quality control problems, and supply 

chain issues have plagued the Russian space industry, causing some 

customers to seek alternatives like SpaceX. In the meantime, Europe’s 

Arianespace remains a steadfast provider, offering reliable services via 

the Ariane 5 ECA, Soyuz 2, and Vega. Sea Launch, for a time a key player 

but never a dominant one, has essentially ceased operations. Meanwhile, 

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Launch Services and India’s 

Antrix have become more aggressive at marketing their H-IIA/B and PSLV 

vehicles, respectively. 

Since about 2004, the annual number of orbital launches conducted 

worldwide has steadily increased. This has been due to government 

activity. U.S. government launches remain steady. For example, retirement 

of the Space Shuttle in 2011 decreased the number of U.S. launches 

per year relative to the previous three decades. However, commercial cargo 

missions to the International Space Station (ISS) have helped to fill the resulting 

gap, along with anticipated commercial crew missions beginning in two years. 

Perhaps most notable in terms of government launch activity is China. The 

number of orbital launches conducted by China has steadily increased each 

year since 2010, with a peak of 19 launches in 2012. The China Great Wall 

1

Executive Summary

A SpaceX Falcon 9 

successfully launches 

DSCOVR from Cape 

Canaveral AFS in 

February 2015. Source. 

SpaceX
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

Industry Corporation (CGWIC) has also been aggressively pursuing international 

clients via package deals that include satellite manufacturing and launch. 

These launches are not considered commercial since the launch contract is not 

internationally competed. In 2015, China introduced two new small-class launch 

vehicles, the Long March 6 and the Long March 11. The country continues to 

develop the Long March 5 and Long March 7, both of which are expected to 

be launched in 2016 from a new launch site on Hainan Island. Finally, China’s 

human spaceflight program continues in a deliberate fashion, while the Chinese 

National Space Agency (CNSA) implements its robotic investigations of the 

Moon. These signs point to a robust future in Chinese spaceflight, expanding 

the Chinese slice of the pie. 

Meanwhile, the commercial launch pie 

has not grown significantly during the past 

decade; instead, the slices of the pie have 

changed size. There are some signs the 

commercial launch pie may be expanding, 

however. Several new launch vehicles are 

being developed specifically to address 

what some believe is latent demand among 

small satellite operators. These vehicles 

are designed to launch payloads with 

masses under 500 kg (1,102 lb) to low 

Earth orbit (LEO). Though the price per 

kilogram remains high relative to larger 

vehicles, the value is in scheduling; small 

satellite operators, especially those with 

constellations of many satellites, can have greater control over their business 

plans. Previously, these small satellites would routinely “piggyback” as a 

secondary payload on a launch carrying a much larger payload. That primary 

payload dictated the schedule and the orbital destination. Some of these new 

vehicles are in advanced states of development, like the Electron by Rocket Lab 

and LauncherOne from Virgin Galactic, with some expected to start launching 

payloads in 2016. One vehicle that was under development for several years is 

U.S.-built Super Strypi. The Super Strypi was launched in November 2015 from 

Hawaii (the first orbital launch from the state), but failed soon after lift off. There 

were hopes that the vehicle would be offered commercially, but indications are 

the system will not attempt to fly again.

In addition to the failed Super Strypi flight, there were two other failures. One 

featured a Proton M provided by International Launch Services (ILS) carrying 

Mexsat-1 (Centenario). In that case, the third stage failed and the satellite and the 

Breeze-M fourth stage reentered the atmosphere shortly thereafter. The Proton 

M returned to flight in August 2015 carrying an Inmarsat satellite. The second 

failure was that of a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying a Dragon cargo capsule to the ISS 

(Spx-7). In this case, the second stage experienced a structural failure just before 

staging. The Dragon capsule remained intact and operational, but its software 

was not programmed to deploy a parachute in the event of a launch failure. 

SpaceX returned to flight with the successful deployment of 11 ORBCOMM 

satellites in late December 2015. Both accidents delayed several commercial 

2

An artist’s impression of LauncherOne undergoing 

staging. Source: Virgin Galactic
3

Executive Summary

launches, many of which were rescheduled for 2016. For this 

reason, the number of commercial launches in 2015 will be slightly 

lower than in 2014.

There were some notable activities in 2015 relating to suborbital 

reusable vehicles. Blue Origin’s New Shepard vehicle successfully 

flew twice, launching from the company’s site in western Texas. 

The second flight, which took place on November 23, 2015, 

featured the first time in history that a vehicle was launched 

vertically, entered space, then landed vertically. Of course, the 

vehicle was not designed to achieve orbital velocities, and its 

apogee was 100.5 km (62 mi). In 2015, The Spaceship Company 

pursued work on the second SpaceShipTwo vehicle as the accident investigation 

for the October 2014 accident of SpaceShipTwo continued. Virgin Galactic, the 

operator of the SpaceShipTwo vehicles, expects flight testing of the new vehicle to 

take place in 2016. 

The year in space transportation represented activity similar to each of the 

previous five years. But it belies what is taking place behind the scenes. New 

vehicles are being developed to replace older ones or to augment capabilities, 

while new satellite operators stand poised to release large constellations of 

telecommunication and remote sensing satellites. Human spaceflight activities 

continue on both the orbital and suborbital front, with orbital test flights of 

commercial vehicles expected to take place by 2017 and suborbital tests 

scheduled for 2016.

Blue Origin’s New 

Shepard just before 

landing on its historic 

flight. Source: Blue 

Origin
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

4
5

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF 

COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION

The mission of the Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space 

Transportation (FAA AST) is to ensure protection of the public, property, and 

the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during 

commercial launch or reentry activities, and to encourage, facilitate, and 

promote U.S. commercial space transportation.

The office was established in 1984 as part of the Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation within the Department of Transportation (DOT). In November 

1995, AST was transferred to the FAA as the FAA’s only space-related line of 

business. FAA AST was established to:

• Regulate the U.S. commercial space transportation industry, ensure 

compliance with international obligations of the United States, and 

protect the public health and safety, safety of property, and national 

security and foreign policy interests of the United States;

• Encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space launches and 

reentries by the private sector;

• Recommend appropriate changes in federal statutes, treaties, 

regulations, policies, plans, and procedures; and

• Facilitate the strengthening and expansion of the United States space 

transportation infrastructure.

AST manages its licensing and regulatory work as well as a variety of programs 

and initiatives to ensure the health and facilitate the growth of the U.S. 

commercial space transportation industry through the Office of the Associate 

Administrator along with its five divisions:

• Space Transportation Development Division

• Licensing and Evaluation Division

• Regulations and Analysis Division

• Safety Inspection Division

• Operations Integration Division

AST issues FAA licenses and permits for commercial launches of orbital and 

suborbital rockets. The first U.S. licensed launch was a suborbital launch of 

a Starfire vehicle on March 29, 1989. Since then, AST has licensed over 230 

launches. The AST also issues licenses for the operations of non-federal launch 

sites, or “commercial spaceports.” Since 1996, AST has issued site operator 

licenses for 10 commercial launch and reentry sites.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

6

THE ANNUAL COMPENDIUM

The Annual Compendium is published in January of each year. It represents 

a consolidation of information designed to provide the reader with a general 

understanding of the space transportation industry. 

General Description

The body of the document is composed of three parts, supplemented by 

introductory matter and appendices. The first part provides narrative detail on 

the space transportation industry, covering topics such as launch vehicles, 

payloads, and launch and reentry sites. The second part is a summary of 

worldwide space activities during the previous calendar year. It integrates this 

review with space transportation activities that have taken place during the 

past five years. The third section covers policies and regulations relevant to 

commercial space transportation, and highlights activities conducted by the 

Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) during 

the previous calendar year. Future editions of the Compendium will include 

a fourth section capturing the annually updated 10-year commercial space 

transportation forecast.

The appendices include definitions and acronyms, a list of tables and figures, 

and the orbital launch manifest for the previous year. Fact sheets are also 

included in the appendices. Each two-page sheet covers a particular launch 

vehicle currently in service and those in an advanced stage of development. 

Fact sheets contain more detailed information than what is available in the body 

of the report.

Compendium and Supplemental Fact Sheets

A good deal of technical information is omitted from the body of the Compendium 

for clarity. This information is carried over into fact sheets, some of which are 

included in the Compendium Appendix and provided on the FAA AST website. 

The fact sheets are related to major sections of the Compendium. Whereas 

the Compendium will be updated annually and helps provide context, the 

fact sheets are designed to be updated as necessary to reflect real world 

developments. 

Figure 1 shows how the fact sheets relate to the sections of the Compendium. 

Future editions will include fact sheets on policy and regulations, as well as a 

section and supporting fact sheets on the annual 10-year commercial space 

transportation forecast.
7

Introduction

Figure 1. The general structure of the Annual Compendium and its various supporting fact sheets. The fact sheets 

represented in the graphic are for illustration only.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

8

An Atlas V provided by 

United Launch Alliance 

(ULA) sends an Orbital 

ATK Cygnus module to the 

International Space Station 

on December 6, 2015. 

Source: ULA
Launch Vehicles

THE SPACE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY

At $5.9B in revenues in 20141, the global space transportation industry is a 

relatively small part of the overall $323B global space industry. But without it, 

space-based services would be impossible. It is an enabling capability, one that 

makes it possible to send national security and commercial satellites into orbit, 

probes into the solar system, and humans on exploration missions.

THE SPACE INDUSTRY

For context, the global space industry is estimated to have been $323B in 2014. 

About $203B (63%) of this was revenue generated by companies providing 

services like television; mobile, fixed, and broadband communications; remote 

sensing; satellite systems and ground equipment manufacturing and sales; and, of 

course, launch services. The remaining $120B (37%) constitutes government space 

budgets and global navigation satellite system (GNSS) chipsets and services.

The U.S. space industry was approximately $125B in 2014. This includes $87B 

in revenues generated by satellite services, satellite manufacturing, satellite 

ground equipment, and launch services as well as $38B spent on space 

programs by the U.S. government. U.S. launch service providers accounted 

for about $2.4B in total revenues or 41% of global launch services. FAA ASTlicensed launches accounted for $617M of the $2.4B. 

LAUNCH VEHICLES

The story of space transportation reaches back at least one thousand 

years ago when the Chinese invented the rocket. At this time, the rocket 

was essentially a small firework, powered by gunpowder. In 1903, Russian 

mathematician, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, published details on his plans for a 

multi-stage, liquid-fueled rocket. Tsiolkovsky recognized that a combination 

of stages and liquid fuels was necessary to send a payload into orbit, but 

never built such a machine. These plans were realized through the work of an 

American, Robert Goddard, who independently invented a liquid-fueled rocket 

and launched it in 1926. His work was largely conducted in secret, and his 

impact on the nascent industry was negligible. Hermann Oberth, of German 

descent but born in Austria-Hungary, also invented a rocket, unaware of the 

works of Tsiolkovsky and Goddard. He published his invention in 1923. This 

work is generally credited with introducing the rocket to the public. Soon after, 

he and fellow rocket enthusiasts established Verein für Raumschiffahrt (VfR), 

a rocket club. Similar clubs sprouted elsewhere around the world during the 

1920s and 1930s, but it was the cash-strapped VfR that received substantial 

1

 $5.9B is an estimate that includes all orbital launch contracts in which financial transaction 

occurred between two or more organizations and revenue estimates for all launches licensed by 

FAA AST. For example, payload operators typically acquire launches through another organization. 

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is an obvious exception, because payloads are 

built, operated, and launched by ISRO itself. Of the $5.9B, approximately $2.4B was revenue 

generated by internationally competed launches, in which a customer “shopped around” for a 

launch. Sources: 2014 State of the Satellite Industry (Satellite Industry Association) and publicly 

available data.

9
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

funding by the German military to scale up the technology. In 1942, VfR

became the first group to successfully launch a large ballistic missile into 

suborbital space. Following the end of World War II, many international teams 

elaborated upon the rocket, most notably in the U.S. and Soviet Union, but 

also in China, Japan, India, and others. By 2015, the world was launching 

between 70 and 100 rockets into orbit annually.

Typical Launch Vehicle Subsystems

General Description

A typical launch vehicle system consists of several basic subsystems, including 

propulsion; power; guidance, navigation, and control (GNC); payload adapters; 

and fairings. This report focuses more on the propulsion subsystem, specifically 

rocket engines themselves. Brief descriptions of major rocket engines used on 

U.S. launch vehicles follow.

Rocket Engines

Rocket engines are generally grouped according to the type of propellant being 

used: solid or liquid. There are also examples of hybrid engines that feature both 

solid and liquid propellants.

Rocket engines that burn solid propellant are simpler in construction, relatively 

inexpensive, and can be stored for long periods of time, making them ideal for 

missiles in particular. Once ignited, engines burning solid propellant cannot 

be throttled at will or shut off. These characteristics make it a potentially 

controversial option for launch systems designed to carry people. The engine, 

often referred to as a solid motor, consists of a metal or composite casing filled 

with a viscous propellant that cures and becomes solid. The central axis of the 

motor is hollow and serves as the combustion volume; combustion takes place 

along the entire length of the motor. The propellant contains a fuel, such as 

aluminum powder and an oxidizer, such as ammonium perchlorate. The mixture 

also contains a binding agent. A catalyst or igniter is used to start the motor. 

Once ignited, the exhaust is ejected through the nozzle to create thrust. 

The following solid motors are used in currently available U.S. launch vehicles. 

Also included are engines designated for use on vehicles under development.

• Five-Segment Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB): The five-segment SRB 

is derived from the four-segment SRBs used for STS from 1981 to 2011. 

The boosters were originally designed and manufactured by Thiokol, 

which was purchased by Alliant Techsystems (ATK) in 2001. The 

company merged with Orbital Sciences Corporation in 2014 and is now 

known as Orbital ATK. Two five-segment SRBs will be used to augment 

the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), currently being 

developed by NASA. The SRBs will burn a polybutadiene acrylonitrile 

(PBAN)-based ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP). 

The mixture includes ammonium perchlorate as the oxidizer, aluminum 

powder as the fuel, PBAN as a binding agent, an iron oxide catalyst, and 

an epoxy-curing agent. Each booster can produce 16,000 kilonewtons 

(kN), or 3,600,000 pounds of force (lbf) of thrust. Together, the thrust 

of both boosters will be about 32,000 kN (7,200,000 lbf). Orbital ATK 

successfully completed four full-scale, full-duration static fire tests of 

10

A 5-segment Solid Rocket 

Booster being prepared for 

ground test firing (Orbital 

ATK)
Launch Vehicles

the five-segment SRB in 2015. The first mission employing SLS will be 

Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), scheduled for late 2018. 

• STAR motors: The STAR line of solid motors, first produced by Thiokol 

and now manufactured by Orbital ATK, is used for upper stage elements 

in launch vehicles. The motors are designated by case diameter, so the 

STAR-37 means the casing diameter is 37 inches (94 centimeters). The 

most commonly used STAR motors today are the STAR-37 and STAR48 as upper stages or kick motors designed to insert payloads into their 

final orbits.

• GEM Strap-on Booster System: The Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM) 

provided by Orbital ATK was introduced in 1991 to supplement the 

first stage thrust of the Delta II launch vehicle. This version, called the 

GEM-40, had a 40-inch diameter. The Delta III, which only flew three 

times from 1998 to 2000 as a transitional vehicle between the Delta II 

and Delta IV, used the GEM-46. The GEM-60, with a 60-inch diameter, 

is currently used for the Delta IV Medium. The vehicle will fly with 

either two (2,491 kN or 560,000 lbf) or four (5,338 kN or 1.2 million lbf) 

GEM-60 motors. The GEMs burn a propellant mixture called Hydroxylterminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and can feature vectorable nozzles. In 

2015, Orbital ATK won a contract to provide the slightly larger GEM-63 

motor for use on the Atlas V provided by United Launch Alliance (ULA), 

replacing the AJ-60A booster provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne in 2018. A 

longer version of this motor, called the GEM-63XL, will be used on ULA’s 

Vulcan vehicle. Orbital ATK had not released performance data for the 

GEM-63 by the time of this writing.

• AJ-60A Solid Rocket Motor: The AJ-60A solid motors, manufactured by 

Aerojet Rocketdyne, have been used to supplement first stage thrust for the 

Atlas V since 2002. The 157-centimeter (62-inch) diameter boosters burn 

HTPB. One to five boosters can be used, depending on the Atlas V variant. 

The AJ-60A is being replaced with the Orbital ATK’s GEM-63 motors

A rocket engine that burns liquid propellants is significantly more complex and 

expensive than a solid motor. There are two types of liquid rocket engines. 

Bipropellant engines burn a mixture of liquid fuel and liquid oxidizer using an 

igniter or, in the case of a hypergolic engine the propellants spontaneously 

ignite when they come in contact with each other. The former is used for most 

launch vehicles, while the latter is preferred for on-orbit maneuvering because 

there are fewer parts involved and combustion is virtually guaranteed. The 

second type is the monopropellant engine, which uses a liquid fuel that does 

not require an oxidizer and is ignited using a catalyst. An example would be 

liquid hydrogen peroxide introduced to a silver mesh catalyst, an interaction that 

rapidly produces a high-pressure gas. All of these engines rely on a pressurant 

system using inert gas, combined with pumps, to ensure that propellant is being 

constantly fed into the engine regardless of the orientation of the vehicle.

Liquid rocket engines are complex and expensive for a variety of reasons. 

Often, the propellants used are cryogenic, meaning the liquid is several hundred 

degrees below zero. The engine can be throttled, necessitating an engine 

controller and associated hardware. These rocket engines can use bleed-off 

exhaust products to spin up the turbopumps and often feature recirculating 

cryogenic propellants to cool the nozzle jacket. They can also employ 

11

An AJ-60A being integrated 

with an Atlas V (Aerojet 

Rocketdyne)

A STAR-48 motor used 

for NASA’s Low-Density 

Supersonic Decelerator 

project (NASA)

A GEM-60 being prepared 

for integration on a Delta IV 

(Orbital ATK)
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

preburners to warm the cryogenic propellant immediately prior to ignition. In 

addition, the propellant tanks, pressurant tanks, and plumbing represent added 

complexity when compared to solid motors. A reusable liquid rocket engine, 

such as those once employed by the Space Shuttle orbiters, represents another 

level of complexity because of the need to engineer robustness into a system 

that experiences very broad temperature extremes and high pressures. 

The following liquid rocket engines are used in currently available U.S. launch vehicles. 

Also included are engines designated for use on vehicles under development.

• BE-4: The BE-4 is an engine under development by Blue Origin. It will 

burn a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), 

mostly composed of methane) and produce 2,447 kN (550,000 lbf) 

of thrust. This is the baseline engine for the company’s orbital launch 

vehicles and the first stage of ULA’s Vulcan. Blue Origin is planning 

to have the BE-4 available for operational flights in 2017. The BE-4 is 

derived from the LOX-liquid hydrogen BE-3, an engine being used for 

Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle.

• AR-1: The AR-1 is an engine currently under development by Aerojet 

Rocketdyne. The engine, which will burn a LOX-kerosene mixture, is 

designed to produce about 2,224 kN (500,000 lbf) of thrust. The AR-1 was 

proposed as a replacement for the Russian-built RD-180, used by the Atlas 

V vehicle, but ULA has elected to replace the Atlas V with the new Vulcan 

vehicle powered by Blue Origin’s BE-4. However, ULA has designated the 

AR-1 is an alternative to the BE-4 in the event the latter engine is delayed.

• FRE-1 and FRE-2: Fire Fly Space has developed the FRE line of engines 

to power the first and second stages of its Alpha launch vehicle. The 

FRE-2 is an aerospike engine that, if successful, may prove to be the first 

aerospike engine employed in an operational launch system. An aerospike 

does not feature a traditional bell-shaped nozzle, which reduces weight 

but also reduces exhaust pressure (specific impulse). Aerodynamic 

design is used to counter this loss of pressure and increase efficiency. 

The engine burns LOX and kerosene to produce a thrust of about 443 kN 

(99,600 lbf). The FRE-1 is a conventional nozzle engine burning the same 

propellant mixture to produce 28 kN (6,200 lbf) of thrust.

• Merlin 1D: The Merlin 1D is the engine used to power both the first and 

second stages of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. 

This engine produces about 756 kN (185,500 lbf) of thrust and burns a 

LOX-kerosene mixture. Nine of these engines power the Falcon 9 first 

stage (for a total thrust of about 6,806 kN or 1,530,000 lbf) and one is 

used to power the second stage. The Merlin 1D is a fourth generation 

SpaceX engine that traces its lineage to the Merlin 1A that powered 

the Falcon 1 vehicle. The Merlin 1A leveraged technology developed 

for NASA’s Fastrac engine, which used a pintle single-feed injector as 

opposed to the more typical arrangement of hundreds of injector holes. 

The Merlin 1C was used for the Falcon 9 v1.0 vehicle, whereas the Merlin 

1D powers the Falcon 9 v1.1 vehicle. The more powerful Falcon 9 Full 

Thrust (Falcon 9 FT) will feature a higher thrust capability, giving the 

vehicle a 30 percent increase in performance from the Falcon 9 v1.1. 

This upgraded vehicle will launch in late 2015. As of October 2015, 

SpaceX does not plan to sell the Merlin engines separately.

A model of the BE-4 engine 

(Blue Origin)

A 3D model of the 

AR1 engine (Aerojet 

Rocketdyne)

The FRE-2 aerospike 

engine (Firefly Space 

Systems)

12
Launch Vehicles

• Newton: The Newton series of engines being developed by Virgin 

Galactic will power the company’s air-launched LauncherOne 

vehicle. These engines use LOX and kerosene as propellants. The

NewtonThree, which produces 327 kN (73,500 lbf) of thrust, will power 

the LauncherOne first stage. A NewtonFour engine, producing 22 kN 

(5,000 lbf) of thrust, will power the second stage to orbit. First flight of 

LauncherOne is expected in 2016.

• RD-180: The RD-180 is a Russian-built engine that powers the 

Common Core Booster (CCB) of the Atlas V vehicle using a LOXkerosene propellant mixture. It produces a thrust of about 3,830 kN 

(860,000 lbf). The engine is built by RD AMROSS (a joint effort between 

Aerojet Rocketdyne—previously Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne—and 

NPO Energomash). Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 

U.S. government negotiated an agreement whereby Russia would 

manufacture relatively inexpensive rocket engines to support the Evolved 

Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program that led to the Atlas V 

and Delta IV. The original plan called for eventual manufacture of the 

engine in the United States. However world events and market driven 

competition has removed the RD-180 from the supply chain. In fact, 

the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 limits the use of the RD180 for national security missions and the government has directed a 

replacement engine be in operation by 2019.

• RD-181: The RD-181 is an engine being developed by NPO Energomash 

for the Antares vehicle built and offered by Orbital ATK. The original 

Antares, which was used on four missions, used two AJ26 engines on 

its first stage. The AJ26 was essentially a significantly modified NK-33 

engine. Aerojet purchased 36 of the original 150 NK-33 engines, which 

were inspected, refurbished, and designated AJ26. Following the loss 

of the fourth Antares vehicle in October 2014 due to an engine failure, 

Orbital ATK moved to replace the engines on future Antares vehicles. 

In 2015, Orbital ATK contracted with NPO Energomash for 20 RD-181 

units. The Antares will feature two LOX-kerosene RD-181 engines, each 

producing about 1,913 kN (430,000 lbf) of thrust. The first launch of the 

Antares using the new engines is planned for the first half of 2016. 

• RL10: The first variant of the RL10 engine was designed in 1959 by Pratt 

& Whitney (now part of Aerojet Rocketdyne). It was first used in 1962 as 

the engines for the Centaur upper stage of Atlas missiles converted as 

launch vehicles. The engine burns LOX-liquid hydrogen and produces a 

thrust of about 110 kN (25,000 lbf). The current model of this engine, the 

RL10A-4-2, continues to power the Centaur upper stage for the Atlas V. 

The RL10B-2 is used for the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the Delta IV vehicle. 

Further development of the RL10 is underway to support ULA’s Advanced 

Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES) for the company’s Vulcan launch vehicle.

• RS-25E: The RS-25E, built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, is an expendable 

version of the RS-25, also called the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). 

Four RS-25E engines will be used for each core stage of NASA’s 

upcoming SLS. Sixteen SSMEs from the retired STS Program have 

been refurbished and stored for use on four SLS missions, which begin 

in late 2018. The RS-25E will be used on subsequent SLS vehicles. 

Each RS-25E will burn a LOX-liquid hydrogen propellant mixture and 

produce about 2,277 kN (512,000 lbf) of thrust. Though the original 

13

A Merlin-1D engine 

(SpaceX)

Two RD-181 beng integrated 

with an Antares launch 

vehicle (NASA)

An RD-180 engine installed 

ont he first stage of an 

Atlas V (ULA)

A NewtonOne engine 

undergoing a test (Virgin 

Galactic)

An RL10B-2 powers the 

Delta IV cryogenic upper 

stage (ULA)
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

SSMEs were expensive, NASA is working with Aerojet Rocketdyne to 

develop manufacturing methods for the RS-25E designed to increase 

performance while at the same time reduce the per-unit cost.

• RS-27A: The RS-27A is the engine used to power the core stage of the 

Delta II. Also developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the RS-27A burns LOX 

and kerosene, producing a thrust of about 890 kN (200,100 lbf).

• RS-68: Aerojet Rocketdyne also produces the RS-68, a more powerful 

engine than the RS-27 that burns a LOX-liquid hydrogen propellant mix. 

From 2002 to 2012, each Common Booster Core (CBC) of the Delta IV 

was powered by a single RS-68 engine, which produces about 2,950 

kN (660,000 lbf) of thrust. An upgraded version of the engine, called the 

RS-68A, was introduced in 2012 as a replacement to the RS-68. It can 

produce 3,137 kN (705,000 lbf) of thrust. 

• Rutherford: Rocket Lab has designed the Rutherford engine for use in 

the first stage of the company’s Electron vehicle. The engine burns a 

mixture of LOX and kerosene, producing a thrust of about 22 kN (5,000 

lbf). Rocket Lab is employing additive manufacturing (3D printing) in the 

construction of all primary components of the Rutherford, making it a 

unique example in the industry. 3D printing reduces costs by simplifying 

the manufacturing process. The first launch of the Electron is expected in 

2016 from a site in New Zealand.

• XR Series: XCOR Aerospace has been developing engines since 2000, 

when the company fully integrated the XR-3A2 and XR-4A3 into an EZRocket test aircraft. Currently, XCOR is developing the XR-5K18 engine 

for the company’s Lynx suborbital vehicle. The XR-5K18 burns a LOX and 

kerosene propellant mixture, producing a thrust of about 13 kN (2,900 

lbf). The Lynx will be powered by four XR-5K18 engines. The company is 

a partner with ULA on the development of a LOX-liquid hydrogen upper 

stage engine, capable of producing up to 130 kN (30,000 lbf) of thrust. 

This effort leverages technologies developed for the XR-5K18.

Launch Vehicle Integration and Processing

Since there are many different types of launch vehicles, there are many different 

ways to integrate and launch them. In general, however, vehicle assemblies and 

subsystems are manufactured in several locations, then transported via rail, air, 

or sea to the launch site where the parts come together as a complete launch 

vehicle. Figure 2 illustrates the basic idea using a generic vehicle as an example.

Once the launch vehicle is fully integrated, it is then joined with its payload. This 

process is called payload integration. The payload will arrive at the launch site 

from the manufacturing or checkout site to a specialized facility designed to handle 

the unique needs of the payload. For example, payloads may require fueling, 

last-minute integration with components, or final testing and checkout. It is then 

attached to a payload adapter. The payload adapter is the physical connection 

between the payload and the launch vehicle, and can be integrated with the launch 

vehicle either horizontally or vertically depending on the vehicle. Once integrated, 

the payload fairing is installed. The vehicle and payload then make their way to the 

launch pad, where the combination continues to be monitored during a technical 

checklist called a countdown. Fueling of a vehicle using liquid propellants takes 

place at the pad, usually immediately prior to launch. 

An RS-68A being prepared for 

installation on a Delta IV CBC 

(ULA)

An RS-27A undergoing 

ground testing (ULA)

An RS-25 being prepared 

for a test firing (Aerojet 

Rocketdyne)

The Rutherford engine 

(Rocket Lab)

The XR-5K18 being test 

fired (XCOR Aerospace)

14
Launch Vehicles

While the launch vehicle and payload are handled at the launch site, other 

operations take place to support launch activities. These are handled by a 

launch range, whose main purpose is to insure that the launch is conducted 

efficiently and safely. The range manages the airspace around the site, 

any ground or sea traffic in the vicinity or downrange, and supports launch 

emergencies should they occur.

Figure 3 describes the typical elements of a launch site and range, using a 

generic vehicle as an example. 

Operational Orbital Launch Vehicles

By the end of 2015, there were 112 different orbital launch vehicles operating 

around the world. This figure includes variants of a family of vehicles; for 

example, there are 18 Atlas V variants defined by the number of solid rocket 

boosters used, type of fairing by diameter, and type of Centaur upper stage 

(single or dual engine). Not all of these vehicles are available for commercial 

use, whereby a payload customer can “shop around” for a ride into orbit. 

There are six expendable launch vehicle types available for commercial use 

by launch providers in the United States (see Table 1). The Delta II, which flew 

once in 2015, is no longer available. U.S. launch service providers include 

Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, Virginia-based Orbital ATK, California-based 

SpaceX, and Colorado-based ULA. ULA has historically only served U.S. 

government customers, but has indicated it plans to open its Atlas V, Delta IV, 

and future Vulcan vehicles for international competition. Another U.S. vehicle, 

the Super Strypi, developed and built by the University of Hawaii (UH), Sandia 

15

Figure 2. A typical launch vehicle integration and processing scheme.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

National Laboratory, and Aerojet Rocketdyne was launched for the first time in 

2015; however, the vehicle was destroyed shortly after launch. The availability of 

this vehicle for commercial use in the future remains uncertain. 

Several orbital launch vehicles are under development with inaugural launches 

planned during the next two to five years. Some of these are operated by non-U.S. 

companies but are expected to fly from U.S. sites. These are listed in Table 2.

Other U.S. vehicles are under various stages of development, including the airlaunched Thunderbolt from Stratolaunch Systems, and several small systems like 

the Lynx Mark III from XCOR Aerospace, the NEPTUNE from InterOrbital Systems, 

and others. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is also 

sponsoring development of vehicles that may be available for commercial use, 

including the XS-1 and Airborne Launch Assist Space Access (ALASA).

There are 13 expendable launch vehicle types available for commercial use 

outside the United States: Ariane 5, Dnepr, Epsilon, GSLV, H-IIA/B, Long March 

2D, Long March 3A, Proton M, PSLV, Rockot, Soyuz 2, Vega, and Zenit 3SL/SLB.

Operational Suborbital Launch Vehicles

Sounding Rockets

Sounding rockets typically employ solid propellants, making them ideal for 

storage. They differ from amateur or hobbyist rockets in that they climb to higher 

altitudes, but do not enter a sustainable orbit, and they carry out missions on 

behalf of commercial, government, or non-profit clients. Sounding rockets are 

used for atmospheric research, astronomical observations, and microgravity 

experiments that do not require human tending.

16

Figure 3. A typical arrangement for a launch site and range. 
Launch Vehicles

Vehicle Operator

Year of 

First 

Launch

Active 

Launch 

Sites

Mass to LEO 

kg (lb)

Mass to SSO 

kg (lb)

Mass to GTO 

kg (lb)

Estimated 

Price per 

Launch

Alpha Fire Fly 2016 KSC 400 (882) 200 (441) N/A $8M

Orbital Launch 

Vehicle Blue Origin 2020 CCAFS Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed

Cab-3A CubeCab 2017 TBD 5 (11) Undisclosed N/A $250K

Electron Rocket Lab 2016 PSCA

Kaitorete Undisclosed 150 (331) N/A $4.9M

Falcon Heavy SpaceX 2016 KSC

VAFB 53,000 (116,845) Undisclosed 21,200 (46,738) $270M

GOLauncher-2 Generation 

Orbit 2017 Cecil Field 

Spaceport 45.4 (100) Undisclosed N/A $2.5M

LauncherOne Virgin 

Galactic 2017 Spaceport 

America 400 (882) 225 (496) N/A $10M

Lynx Mark III XCOR 

Aerospace 2018 KSCMidland 10 (22) Undisclosed N/A $545K

SOAR Swiss Space 

Systems 2018 KSC 250 (551.2) Undisclosed N/A $10.5M

Stratolaunch Stratolaunch 

Systems 2016 Mojave

KSC 3,000 (6,614) 1,400 (3,086) N/A Undisclosed

Vulcan ULA 2019 CCAFS

VAFB

9,370-18,510 

(20,657-40,510)

7,724-15,179 

(17,029-33,464)

4,750-8,900 

(10,472-19,621) $85M-$260M

Table 2. Projected orbital launch vehicles that may be available for commercial use in the United States.

17

Vehicle Operator

Year of 

First 

Launch

Total 

2015 

Launches

Active 

Launch 

Sites

Mass to LEO 

kg (lb)

Mass to SSO 

kg (lb)

Mass to GTO 

kg (lb)

Estimated 

Price per 

Launch

Antares Orbital ATK 2013 0 MARS 3,500-7,000 

(7,716-15,432)

2,100-3,400 

(4,630-7,496) N/A $80M-$85M

Atlas V ULA and 

LMCLS 2002 9 CCAFS

VAFB

8,123-18,814 

(17,908-41,478)

6,424-15,179 

(14,163-33,464)

3,460-8,900 

(7,620-19,620) $110M-$230M

Delta IV ULA 2002 3 CCAFS

VAFB

9,420-28,790 

(20,768-63,471)

7,690-23,560 

(16,954-51,941)

3,060-14,220 

(6,746-31,350) $164M-$400M

Falcon 9 SpaceX 2010 7 CCAFS

VAFB 13,150 (28,991) Undisclosed 4,850 (10,692) $61.2M

Minotaur-C Orbital ATK 2016 0

CCAFS

MARS

VAFB

WFF

1,278-1,458 

(2,814-3,214)

912-1,054 

(2,008-2,324) N/A $40M-$50M

Pegasus 

XL Orbital ATK 1994 0

CCAFS

Kwajalein

VAFB

WFF

450 (992) 325 (717) N/A $40M

Table 1. Orbital vehicles currently available for commercial use by U.S. providers.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

Three ELV sounding rocket systems are currently available to U.S. customers, with 

two that have a long history of providing highly reliable services. Canada-based 

Bristol Aerospace has provided sounding rockets that have been used in the U.S. 

for decades. They are available to the U.S. scientific community through the NASA 

Sounding Rockets Operations Contract (NSROC), managed by the NASA Sounding 

Rockets Program Office (SRPO), located at Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. 

NASA’s SRPO conducts sounding rocket launches for NASA, universities, and 

other customers. Supplied vehicles include Bristol Aerospace’s Black Brant series 

in several vehicle configurations, from a single-stage vehicle to a four-stage vehicle 

stack (described in a previous section); the Improved Orion; and the TerrierImproved Orion. WFF provides both engineering and mission operations support 

to the commercial launch industry. Through NASA Space Act Agreements, WFF 

engineering personnel and laboratories frequently support commercial space 

technology development and testing. WFF also provides launch range services 

to the commercial launch industry, either directly or through partnership with the 

FAA-licensed MARS. However, NASA cannot offer commercial flights aboard 

government-owned suborbital vehicles; the agency can support only preparation 

and mission operations needs for commercial users. NASA’s SRPO integrates the 

subassemblies, which, with the exception of Black Brant, consist of military surplus 

Orion and Terrier motors. Payloads are typically limited to science and hardware 

testing. SRPO conducts about 15-20 sounding rocket launches per year from WFF 

in Virginia, Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, White Sands Missile Range in New 

Mexico, and Andoya Rocket Range in Norway.

A description of major U.S. sounding rockets is provided below:

• Black Brant: The Black Brant sounding rocket system is a flexible, multiconfiguration family of upper- and exo-atmospheric launch vehicles. 

Over 1,000 Black Brant rockets have launched since production 

began in 1962. The Black Brant rocket motor, the related Nihka rocket 

motor, and supporting hardware are all manufactured in Canada by 

Bristol Aerospace, a subsidiary of Magellan Aerospace Limited. U.S.-

manufactured Terrier, Talos, and Taurus motors are on several Black 

Brant configurations. The SRPO has made extensive use of the Black 

Brant vehicles. The Black Brant family of vehicles can launch a 113-kg 

(250-lb) payload to an altitude of at least 1,400 km (870 mi), a 454-kg 

(1,000-lb) payload to an altitude of at least 400 km (250 mi), or a 680-

kg (1,500-lb) payload to an altitude of at least 260 km (160 mi). These 

vehicles can provide up to 20 minutes of microgravity time during a flight. 

Payloads with diameters of up to 56 cm (22 in) have flown successfully. 

The smallest version of the Black Brant family is the Black Brant V, which 

is 533 cm (210 in) long and 43.8 cm (17.24 in) in diameter. The rocket 

produces an average thrust of 75,731 N (17,025 lbf). The Black Brant V 

motor can be used on its own, as a single-stage vehicle, or used as the 

second or third stage in larger, multi-stage versions of the Black Brant. 

The most powerful configuration of the family, the Black Brant XII, is a 

four-stage vehicle that uses the Black Brant V motor as its third stage 

and Bristol Aerospace’s Nihka motor as its fourth stage. The Black Brant 

remains in active use today, after nearly 50 years of reliable service. The 

Black Brant sounding rocket system continues to be the workhorse of the 

NASA Sounding Rocket Program.

18

A Black Brant sounding 

rocket launched in 2011 

(NASA)
Launch Vehicles

19

• Improved Orion and Terrier-Improved Orion: NASA SRPO The TerrierImproved Orion consists of a 46-cm (18-in) diameter Terrier first stage 

and a 36-cm (14-in) diameter Improved Orion second stage. This 

vehicle, which has a diameter of 36 cm (14 in), can carry a payload of 

up to 363 kg (800 lb) to an altitude of 75 km (47 mi) or 100 kg (220 lb) 

to an altitude of 225 km (140 mi). The Terrier-Orion is launched from 

WFF. SRPO launched three Terrier-Orion vehicles in 2010, with the first 

launched from Poker Flat Research Range on February 2, 2010. Two 

others were launched from WFF, on June 24, 2010, and September 21, 

2010. A Terrier-Improved Malemute launched on March 27, 2010, to 

test the Malemute upper stage and carry two student CubeSats. The 

Malemute is a surplus missile motor, and it is no longer used by SRPO.

Suborbital Reusable Vehicles

Suborbital reusable vehicles (SRVs) are part of an emerging industry with the 

potential to support new markets. SRVs are commercially developed reusable 

space vehicles that travel just beyond the threshold of space, about 100 km 

(62 mi) above the Earth. While traveling through space, the vehicles experience 

between one to five minutes of microgravity and provide relatively clear views 

of the Earth. Currently planned vehicles can carry up to 770 kg (1,698 lb) of 

payload, some will carry people, and one (Lynx Mark III) will be able to launch 

small satellites. The companies developing SRVs typically target a high flight 

rate and relatively low cost. Current ticket prices for human spaceflight vary 

from $95,000 to $250,000 per seat. These vehicles have been developed using 

predominantly private investment as well as some government support. Having 

gained momentum in 2012, each of the SRV companies has continued its 

research and development activities. In 2015, Blue Origin’s New Shepard flew 

twice under an FAA AST Experimental Permit, with the second flight achieving a 

historic milestone by becoming the first vehicle to launch vertically, enter space 

(100.5 km or 62.4 mi), and landing vertically. Table 3 provides a description of 

SRVs currently under development.

Operator Vehicle Seats* Maximum Payload

kg (lb) Price Announced Operational Year

Blue Origin New Shepard 6 22.7 (50)*** TBD 2016

Masten Space 

Systems

Xaero

Xombie

Xogdor

N/A

12 (26)

20 (44)

25 (55)

TBD TBD

UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL N/A 36 (79) $350,000 per

launch 2006 (actual)

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo 6 600 (1,323) $250,000 per seat 2017

XCOR Aerospace

Lynx Mark I

Lynx Mark II

Lynx Mark III

1

1

1

120 (265)

120 (265)

770 (1,698)

$105,000 per seat

2016

2017

2018

Table 3. U.S.-based providers of SRVs.

* Spaceflight participants only; several vehicles are piloted.

** Net of payload infrastructure

A Terrier-Improved Malemute 

successfully launched in 

2012 from the Wallops Flight 

Facility (NASA)
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

20

The first stage of the Falcon 9 Full 

Thrust vehicle makes a successful 

landing at Cape Canaveral Air Force 

Station on December 21, 2015, 

becoming the first vehicle in history 

to accomplish the feat after reaching 

orbital velocity. The vehicle’s 

second stage subsequently 

deployed 11 ORBCOMM satellites. 

Source: SpaceX
Launch and Reentry Sites

LAUNCH AND REENTRY SITES

Launch sites are sites dedicated to launching orbital or suborbital vehicles 

into space. These sites provide the capability to integrate launch vehicle 

components, fuel and maintain vehicles, and integrate vehicles with payloads. 

Launch sites can facilitate vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) or horizontal 

takeoff, horizontal landing (HTHL) vehicles. From the launch site, a launch 

vehicle travels through an area called the launch range, which typically includes 

tracking and telemetry assets. These range assets monitor the vehicle’s 

performance until it safely delivers a payload into orbit or returns to Earth. 

Tracking and telemetry assets may also facilitate recovery of reusable stages.

FAA AST licenses commercial launch and reentry sites in the United States. 

As of the end of 2015, FAA AST issued 10 launch site operator licenses. Table 

4 lists the FAA AST-licensed launch sites. Table 5 identifies the locations of all 

federal and non-federal launch sites in United States territory.

FAA AST-licensed launch and reentry sites are often co-located with federal 

locations, including Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida, 

Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) in California, and WFF in Virginia.

Of the 19 active launch and reentry sites, the U.S. government manages eight, 

state agencies manage nine FAA AST-licensed commercial sites in partnership with 

private industry, and a university manages one (Alaska’s Poker Flat site, which is 

not licensed by FAA AST). Four sites are dedicated to orbital launch activity, nine 

facilitate suborbital launches only, and five can host both types of operations.

In addition to these sites, there are three non-licensed sites where individual 

companies conduct launches using a licensed or permitted vehicle. Because the 

companies own and operate these sites using their own vehicles exclusively, a 

site license is not required. The Odyssey Launch Platform exclusively supports 

Sea Launch’s Zenit 3SL vehicles on the Central Pacific Ocean. SpaceX conducts 

flight tests of its Falcon 9R vehicle at its McGregor, Texas site. Blue Origin 

conducts FAA-permitted flight tests from its site near Van Horn, Texas.

Launch Site and State Operator License 

First Issued Expires

2015 FAA 

AST-Licensed 

or Permitted 

Flights

California Spaceport, CA Spaceport Systems International 1996 9/18/2016 0

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, VA Virginia Commercial Space Flight 

Authority 1997 12/18/2017 0

Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska, AK Alasak Aerospace Corporation 1998 9/23/2018 0

Cape Canaveral Spaceport, FL Space Florida 1999 6/30/2020 6

Mojave Air and Space Port, CA East Kern Airport District 2004 6/16/2019 0

Oklahoma Spaceport, OK Oklahoma Space Industry 

Development Authority 2006 6/11/2016 0

Spaceport America, NM New Mexico Spaceport Authority 2008 12/14/2018 0

Cecil Field Spaceport, FL Jacksonville Aviation Authority 2010 1/10/2020 0

Midland International Airport, TX Midland International Airport 2014 9/14/2019 0

Ellington Airport, TX Houston Airport System 2015 6/25/2020 0

Table 4. FAA AST-licensed launch and reentry sites, in order of when it was first issued a site license.

21
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

Launch Site Operator State or 

Country

Type of 

Launch Site

Type of 

Launches 

Supported

Currently Available for 

Commercial Operations?

California Spaceport Spaceport Systems 

International CA Commercial Orbital Yes

Cape Canaveral 

Spaceport Space Florida FL Commercial Orbital/

Suborbital Yes

Cape Canaveral Air Force 

Station U.S. Air Force FL Government Orbital

SLC-41 (Atlas V)

SLC-37B (Delta IV)

SLC-40 (Falcon 9)

SLC-36 (Blue Origin)

Landing Strip

Cecil Field Spaceport Jacksonville Airport 

Authority FL Commercial Suborbital Yes

Edwards Air Force Base U.S. Air Force CA Government Suborbital No

Ellington Airport Houston Airport System TX Commercial Suborbital Yes

Kennedy Space Center NASA FL Government Orbital LC-39A (Falcon Heavy)

Shuttle Landing Facility

Mid-Atlantic Regional 

Spaceport

Virginia Commercial 

Space Flight Authority VA Commercial Orbital Yes

Midland International Air 

and Space Port

Midland International 

Airport TX Commercial Suborbital Yes

Mojave Air and Space Port East Kern Airport District CA Commercial Suborbital Yes

Oklahoma Spaceport Oklahoma Space Industry 

Development Authority OK Commercial Suborbital Yes

Pacific Missile Range 

Facility U.S. Navy HI Government Orbital No

Pacific Spaceport 

Complex Alaska

Alaska Aerospace 

Corporation AK Commercial Orbital/Suborbital Yes

Poker Flat Research 

Range

University of Alaska 

Fairbanks Geophysical 

Authority

AK Non-Profit Suborbital Five pads available for 

suborbital launches

Ronald Reagan Ballistic 

Missile Defense Test Site U.S. Army

Republic 

of the 

Marshall 

Islands

Government Suborbital Omelek Island launch pad

Spaceport America New Mexico Spaceport 

Authority NM Commercial Suborbital Yes

Vandenberg Air Force 

Base U.S. Air Force CA Government Orbital/Suborbital

SLC-2 (Delta II)

SLC-3E (Atlas V)

SLC-4E (Falcon 9 and 

Falcon Heavy)

SLC-6 (Delta IV)

SLC-8 (Minotaur)

SLC-576E (Minotaur-C)

Wallops Flight Facility NASA VA Government Orbital/

Suborbital No

White Sands Missile 

Range U.S. Army NM Government Suborbital No

Table 5. Active U.S. government and commercial launch and reentry sites.

22
Launch and Reentry Sites

U.S. Federal Sites

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

CCAFS is an installation of Air Force Space 

Command’s 45th Space Wing, and is the 

primary launch head of America’s Eastern 

Range, with three active launch pads, 

Space Launch Complexes 37, 40, and 

41. It is located on Merritt Island, south of 

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and has a 

10,000-foot-long runway. CCAFS has been 

used by the U.S. government since 1949, and 

has been home to a number of firsts, including 

launching the first U.S. Earth Satellite in 1958, the first U.S. astronaut in 1961, and 

the first spacecraft to orbit Mars in 1971 and roam its surface in 1996. SpaceX 

launched its Dragon spacecraft in April 2014 to resupply the International Space 

Station from SLC-40 at CCAFS, and unveiled its Crew Dragon, designed to take 

people into space, in May 2014. 

Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) is a U.S. Air 

Force installation near Rosamond, California. 

It houses the Air Force Flight Test Center and 

is the Air Force Materiel Command center 

for conducting and supporting research 

and development of flight, as well as testing 

aerospace systems. EAFB is also home to 

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center 

(AFRC), and host to commercial aerospace 

industry testing activities. AFRC began in 1946 

when 13 National Advisory Committee for 

Aeronautics (NACA) Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory engineers began 

work to support the first supersonic research flights at EAFB. The AFRC’s most 

notable research projects include the Controlled Impact Demonstration and the 

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment. In addition, the Air Force Research Laboratory 

(AFRL) Propulsion Directorate maintains a rocket engine test facility on site. 

Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is NASA’s 

Launch Operations Center, supporting 

Launch Complex 39 (LC-39), originally built 

for the Saturn V, the largest and most powerful 

operational launch vehicle in history, for the 

Apollo program. Since the Apollo program, 

LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA 

human spaceflight, including Skylab, the 

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and the Space 

Shuttle Program. Most recently, SpaceX signed 

an agreement with NASA to lease Launch 

Complex 39A for the Falcon Heavy, and the company began modifying the facility in 

2014. The Falcon Heavy is currently set to launch in 2016. Beginning in 2014, KSC’s 

23
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

OPF-1 and OPF-2 began the modification process to accommodate the Air Force’s 

X-37B space plane, and Boeing signed a lease agreement with NASA in 2014 to use 

OPF-3 for the CST-100 Starliner crewed capsule currently in development. 

Pacific Missile Range Facility

The Pacific Missile Research Facility (PMRF), Barking Sands, is a U.S. air 

and naval facility, located in Hawaii. It is the largest instrumented, multidimensional testing and training missile range in the world. At this location, 

submarines, surface ships, aircraft, and space vehicles operate and are 

tracked simultaneously. PMRF has over 42,000 square miles of controlled 

airspace, with its base covering nearly 2,400 acres, with a 6,000-foot 

runway. The U.S. Army acquired Barking Sands from the Kekaha Sugar 

Company in 1940, expanded in 1941 to over 2,000 acres, and was used 

as an airport for both private and military aircraft until 1954, when it was 

designated as Bonham Air Force Base. Naval missile testing operations began two 

years later with the Regulus I. In 1964, the facility was transferred to the U.S. Navy 

and became the PMRF, Barking Sands. 

Two Missile Defense Agency programs use PMRF currently, the Navy’s Aegis 

Ballistic Missile Defense System, and the Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area 

Defense System (THAAD). In October 2013, the Daniel K. Inouye Technology 

Center was opened, among other initiatives, it houses the Hawaii Space Flight 

Laboratory, focusing on space exploration, tracking and controlling satellites 

launched from PMRF.

Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site

The Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (Reagan Test Site), 

formerly the Kwajalein Missile Range, is a test range in the Pacific Ocean 

on the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI). It includes several rocket launch 

sites spread across the Kwajalein Atoll, Wake Island, and the Aur Atoll. It is 

a test facility for missile defense and it hosts space research programs. It 

is also the terminal area for ballistic missile test launches for reentry vehicle 

testing. Among these programs, the Reagan Test Site serves as a tracking 

station for manned and unmanned spaceflight. The Reagan Test Site tracks 

approximately 50,000 objects per year in space, including foreign and 

domestic satellites and other objects as small as 10 centimeters.

Vandenberg Air Force Base

VAFB is located near the town of Lompoc, California, and 

is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force 

Space Command (AFSPC). It is the only location in the United 

States where both commercial and government polar orbiting 

satellites are launched. Launches from VAFB are unique 

in that an entire mission, from launch to orbital insertion, 

takes place over open water. The Titan IV, Pegasus, Taurus, 

Delta II, Atlas IIAS, Minotaur, Falcon 1, Atlas V, Delta IV, and 

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 have all been launched from VAFB. VAFB 

also conducts ballistic missile defense missions. The base 

started as a U.S. Army training center, Camp Cooke, in 1941, and was officially 

transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1957. It has conducted space and missile 

launches since 1959, launching the world’s first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer 

24
Launch and Reentry Sites

I, on February 28, 1959. VAFB also manages the West Coast Off-shore Operating 

Area, which controls air space for aircraft testing.

Wallops Flight Facility

WFF is the primary provider of NASA’s 

science suborbital and small orbital flight 

programs, and is located 100 miles northeast 

of Norfolk, Virginia. It is owned and operated 

by the Goddard Space Flight Center in 

Greenbelt, Maryland. Annually, WFF conducts 

approximately 30 sounding rocket missions 

from this and other sites worldwide. It also 

conducts about 20 high altitude balloon 

missions per year and several hundred hours 

of piloted and unpiloted aircraft missions. In addition, WFF manages the Wallops 

Research Range (WRR), consisting of a launch range, mobile range, and airport. 

WRR has conducted more than 16,000 launches over its 70-year history and 

annually supports approximately 20 suborbital launches using its six launch pads.

White Sands Missile Range

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) is a 

3,200-square-mile rocket range in southern 

New Mexico, operated by the United States 

Army. It is the largest military operation in the 

United States, and is the site of the first atomic 

bomb test, codenamed Trinity, conducted 

in July 1945. It was also the testing site of 

the German V-2 rocket in April 1946. The 

test range, designated WSMR in May 1958, 

houses the Launch Abort Flight Test Complex 

for the Orion Project, which had its groundbreaking at LC-32 for the Orion Abort Test 

Booster in November 2007, NASA’s White Sands Test Facility’s ground station for 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, and the North Oscura Peak facility of the AFRL, 

among others. 

In September 2015, Orbital ATK completed its 50th and 51st missions of its “Coyote” 

target vehicle for the U.S. Navy, launching flight tests from WSMR.

FAA AST-Licensed Sites

California Spaceport

Spaceport Systems International, L.P. (SSI), 

established in 1993, operates The California 

Spaceport, which came into being just two 

years later in 1995, when SSI signed a lease 

with the Air Force. The California Spaceport is 

a commercial launch and satellite processing 

facility located on California’s central coast at 

VAFB, near the town of Lompoc, California. 

SSI signed a 25-year lease with the Air Force 

to provide commercial launch services from 

25
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

the 100-acre plot it currently occupies. The lease includes an Integrated Processing 

Facility (IPF), originally built for the STS and designed to process three shuttle-class 

payloads simultaneously. The Commercial Launch Facility (CLF), known as Space 

Launch Complex 8 (SLC-8), was also included as part of the lease. In 1996, the FAA 

AST issued the first Commercial Space Launch Site Operator’s License to SLC-8. This 

launch complex was also the first commercial launch site to become fully operational, 

in 1999. SLC-8 is currently the only exclusively commercially operated launch site in 

the United States, receiving no federal or state taxpayer funds to operate.

Cecil Field Spaceport

Cecil Field Spaceport (CFS) is the only licensed horizontal 

launch commercial spaceport on the East Coast, and it is 

owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority 

(JAA). CFS is positioned on 150 acres of dedicated 

spaceport development property, adjacent to the runway and 

taxiway system at Cecil Airport near Jacksonville, Florida. 

It is specially designed with a 12,500-foot-long runway, 

18L-36R, to launch and recover space vehicles that take 

off and land horizontally. Following four years of feasibility 

and development studies, JAA was granted a Launch 

Site Operator License in January 2010. Prompted by a Space Florida resolution, 

legislation to amend the Florida Statutes to designate Cecil a “Space Territory” was 

passed, allowing Space Florida to include it in master planning efforts and spacerelated infrastructure upgrades.

Cape Canaveral Spaceport

Together, the Air Force’s CCAFS and NASA’s KSC represent 

the most active orbital launch location in the United States, 

known as the Cape Canaveral Spaceport (CCS). CCS is 

co-located at CCAFS, and it is the premier launch complex 

for sending humans and payloads into space. The CCS 

has been the departure gate for all U.S. crewed missions, 

every operational Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, 

and thousands of other payloads, including communication 

satellites, national security surveillance satellites, early 

warning satellites, and a number of meteorology satellites. 

Space Florida is an independent Special District of the State of Florida that 

advocates for and funds infrastructure projects in Florida’s spaceport territory, 

including the CCS.

Ellington Field

The Ellington Airport, future home to the Houston Spaceport, 

is a civilian and military use airport in Texas. It is owned by 

the City of Houston, and operated by the Houston Airport 

System (HAS). In April 2014, Sierra Nevada Corporation 

(SNC) ratified an agreement with HAS officials to research 

Ellington’s potential as a commercial Spaceport. SNC hopes 

to use the site to land its Dream Chaser space plane. The 

feasibility study estimated costs to properly outfit Ellington as 

a spaceport to undertake the landing mission was $48 million, 

26
Launch and Reentry Sites

and close to $122 million to equip it to handle landing and launching small space 

vehicles regularly. The FAA granted a launch site license to Ellington Airport in June 

2015, becoming the 10th commercial spaceport in the United States. 

In October of 2015, the Houston City Council approved the $6.9 million purchase 

of a building, adjacent to the Ellington Airport, to be used as an incubator for 

early-stage space industry companies. To date, prospective tenants include 

Intuitive Machines and United Kingdom-based Catapult Satellite Applications. This 

53,000-square-foot facility marks the first dedicated infrastructure project for the 

Houston Spaceport.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) 

is a commercial space launch facility, formerly 

known as the Virginia Space Flight Center 

that was developed using a combination of 

federal, state, and private sector funds from 

the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority 

(VCSFA). Created in 1995, VCSFA began its 

lease at Wallops Island in 1997 and expanded 

the MARS facilities to its present state by 2006 

with two active launch facilities (one midclass and one small-class launch facility). Through agreements with NASA, VCSFA 

also added access to support infrastructure facilities, such as vehicle and payload 

processing integration facilities and instrumentation and emergency facilities. 

MARS consists mainly of Launch Pads 0A and 0B, as well as supporting facilities. 

Launch Pad 0A cost about $160 million to support Orbital ATK’s Antares vehicle: 

$90 million was provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia, $60 million from NASA, 

and $10 million from Orbital ATK. In October 2014, the facility suffered significant 

damage to LP-0A due to the Antares launch failure. Repairs or replacement to 

various facilities was completed as scheduled and within the overall budget while 

keeping a small management reserve for final system performance testing, which 

started September 25, 2015. MARS was able to begin rebuilding its damaged 

launch pad, and repairs were completed September 30, 2015 to support a March 

2016 launch.

Midland International Air and Space Port

The Midland International Air and Space Port 

is a city-owned international airport located 

between the cities of Midland and Odessa, 

Texas. It is the latest commercial launch site 

licensed by FAA AST, having been awarded 

the license in September 2014. The air and 

space port is located on the same site as 

Sloan Field, a small airport founded in 1927. 

The airport was used as a training base 

during World War II, known as Midland 

Army Air Field, before reverting back to commercial operations in late 1945. The 

airfield is owned by the city of Midland, Texas. 

27
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

In August 2014, XCOR Aerospace, which is moving its headquarters from Mojave 

Air and Space Port to Midland, kicked off construction of its new hangar. The XCOR 

hangar will become the home of the first XCOR Lynx suborbital spacecraft, XCOR’s 

corporate headquarters, and its research and development facilities. In October 

2014, they were followed by Orbital Outfitters, a company that specializes in space 

suits and space vehicle mockups. Orbital Outfitters is constructing the Midland 

Altitude Chamber Complex, a facility that will include three hypobaric chambers 

for scientific and human high-altitude testing and training. The facility is set for 

completion by the end of 2015.

Mojave Air and Space Port

The Mojave Air and Space Port is an aerospace test center 

and launch and reentry site, operated by the East Kern 

Airport District in the Mojave Desert. Certified by FAA in June 

2004, it is the first facility to be licensed in the United States 

for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft. Kern County 

established the airport in 1935, and it became the Marine 

Corps Auxiliary Air Station (MCAAS) in 1941, following the 

attack on Pearl Harbor. The base was closed in 1947, and 

remained so until the outbreak of the Korean War. In 1961, 

Kern County again obtained the title to the airport, and 

established the East Kern Airport District (EKAD) in 1972 to administer the airport. 

EKAD administers the Air and Space Port to this day. 

Sixty companies operate out of Mojave, including Scaled Composites, XCOR 

Aerospace, Masten, Orbital ATK, and Interorbital Systems. Companies are currently 

designing, building, and testing small suborbital reusable vehicles on site. 

In October 2014, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo VSS Enterprise, which was tested 

at Mojave Air and Space Port, was destroyed shortly after it was launched from the 

WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft. The pilot survived serious injuries and the copilot 

was killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has performed an 

investigation of the accident with the support of FAA AST, and it was determined 

that the crash was caused by co-pilot error.

Oklahoma Spaceport

Oklahoma Spaceport is managed by the Oklahoma Space 

Industry Development Authority (OSIDA), created in 1999, 

and was granted a license to the site by the FAA in June 

2006. The site is located near the community of Burns Flat, 

Oklahoma. It is part of what is also known as the ClintonSherman Industrial Airpark. It is the only spaceport with an 

FAA-approved spaceflight corridor that is not in restricted 

airspace or Military Operation Areas (MOAs). The Oklahoma 

Spaceport has facilities in place for aerospace testing, 

research and development, flights and launches, with its 

13,503-foot by 300-foot concrete runway meant for both civilian and military use. 

The spaceport has yet to launch any orbital or suborbital flights.

Oklahoma lawmakers voted to give OSIDA $372,887 for 2015 operations costs, in 

addition to federal funding. While the Oklahoma Spaceport has yet to be used for space 

travel, its aviation facility conducts approximately 35,000 flight operations annually.

28
Launch and Reentry Sites

Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska

The Pacific Spaceport Complex (PSC) Alaska 

(formerly Kodiak Launch Complex, or KLC) 

is a commercial rocket launch facility for 

suborbital and orbital space launch vehicles, 

located on Kodiak Island, Alaska. It is owned 

and operated by the Alaska Aerospace 

Corporation (AAC), created in 1991, which 

is an independent political and corporate 

entity located within the Alaska Department of 

Military and Veterans’ Affairs. PSC is the first 

FAA-licensed launch site not co-located on 

a federally controlled launch site; however, 

the majority of the launches it has managed since its inception in 1998 have been 

U.S. government launches. PSC has one launch pad, Launch Pad 1 (LP-1), which 

can launch intermediate-class payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) or polar orbits. The 

complex also has a suborbital launch pad (LP-2) for missile testing. Development of 

a third launch pad for the Athena III began in 2012, and this launch pad is intended 

to allow the facility to support launches of satellites in under 24 hours. 

In August 2014, LP-1 was damaged when an Air Force Advanced Hypersonic 

Weapons test ended in failure, the test vehicle having been destroyed by range 

control personnel following an anomaly. Soon afterward, Alaska Aerospace made 

plans to repair and upgrade the facilities to support larger rockets, but state funding 

priorities prohibited repairs to PSC.

Spaceport America

Spaceport America, formerly the Southwest 

Regional Airport, is the world’s first purposebuilt, commercial spaceport. The site is 

located in Sierra County, near the city of 

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and 

is operated by the New Mexico Spaceport 

Authority. The spaceport was officially opened 

for business in October 2011, and its first FAAlicensed launch took place in October 2012. 

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority received 

its license for horizontal and vertical launch from FAA AST in December 2008. 

Virgin Galactic, the anchor tenant, signed a 20-year lease agreement immediately 

after issuance of the license. The main terminal hangar is capable of housing two 

WhiteKnightTwo aircraft and five Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo spacecraft. 

Delays experienced by launch service providers like Virgin Galactic have inspired 

the New Mexico Spaceport Authority to explore alternative means of generating 

revenue at the spaceport until flight operations begin. Negotiations with several 

potential tenants took place in 2014. The Spaceport hired a marketing firm to 

solicit sponsors, and was unsuccessful. At the moment, Spaceport America is 

mostly vacant. The spaceport is entirely financed by the taxpayers of New Mexico, 

and is substantially complete at a cost of $209 million. In early 2015, a bill was 

introduced to the New Mexico Legislature that the State of New Mexico sell the 

public spaceport to commercial interests to begin recouping some of the state’s 

29
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

investment. If the bill passes, the spaceport will be required to put together a 

marketing plan before the end of 2015.

SpaceX signed a three-year lease with Spaceport America in 2013, and to date has 

spent over $2 million in infrastructure improvements. SpaceX hopes to use the site to 

launch, recover, and reuse its Falcon 9 v1.1 booster. Thus far, several tests have been 

performed in preparation for launch and recovery. SpaceX successfully tested flyback 

and landing of an operational Falcon 9 first stage in December 2015. The vehicle was 

used to deploy 11 ORBCOMM satellites. 

Non-Licensed U.S. Sites

SpaceX McGregor Rocket Development and Test Facility

SpaceX purchased the testing facilities of defunct Beal 

Aerospace in McGregor, Texas, announcing plans in 2011 

to upgrade the former bomb manufacturing plant to allow 

for launch testing of a VTVL rocket. The next year, SpaceX 

constructed a half-acre concrete launch facility on the 

property to support the Grasshopper test flight program. The 

total facility comprises 900 acres, and is currently being used 

for research and development of new rocket engines and 

thrusters, as well as for testing final manufactured engines 

and their various components, and testing potential reusable 

boosters. The facility currently has 11 test stands that operate 

18 hours per day, six days per week. Thus far, SpaceX has used the site to test the 

Merlin 1D engine, and the Falcon 9 v1.1, as well as high-altitude, high-velocity flight 

testing of Grasshopper v1.1, which was permitted by the FAA until October 2014. 

Recovered SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are also sent to McGregor to be refurbished 

for potential reuse. 

Blue Origin West Texas Rocket Flight Facility

Blue Origin, LLC is an American-owned, privately funded 

aerospace development and manufacturing company, 

established by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. The 

company is currently developing technologies to enable 

commercial spaceflight with lower costs and increased 

reliability. Blue Origin’s West Texas high-altitude rocket flight 

facility is located near the town of Van Horn, Texas. It is 

currently permitted by the FAA for flights up to a maximum 

altitude of 66 miles, with no more than one flight per week. 

Poker Flat Rocket Range

The Poker Flat Rocket Range (PFRR) serves as a launch facility 

and sounding rocket range near Fairbanks, Alaska. It is the 

only U.S. launch facility owned and operated by a non-profit, 

the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), which has owned the 

site since 1948, and is currently under contract to NASA WFF. 

PFRR is home to five launch pads, two of which are optimized 

for extreme weather conditions. The 5,000-acre facility has 

performed more than 1,700 launches to study the Earth’s 

atmosphere and its interaction with the space environment.

30
Launch and Reentry Sites

Non-U.S. Sites

There are many active orbital and suborbital launch sites across 10 different 

countries and territories. The most significant of these sites are described briefly in 

the following paragraphs.

Russian service providers launch vehicles from three primary sites: Baikonur 

Cosmodrome, located in Kazakhstan as a byproduct of the collapse of the Soviet 

Union in 1991; Plestesk Cosmodrome, in the western part of the country; and 

Dombarovsky Air Base near the western Kazakh border. Virtually all Russian 

vehicles launch from Baikonur, including the Angara, Dnepr, Proton M, Rockot, 

Soyuz (including missions to ISS), and Zenit, among others. The Soyuz and Rockot 

vehicles launch from Plestesk, and only the Dnepr launches from Dombarovsky. 

The Russian government is also constructing a new site in the East called 

Vostochny Cosmodrome, which is expected to open some time before 2020. This 

site is expected to launch Soyuz and possibly Angara vehicles.

China is home to three launch sites. The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center is located 

in Inner Mongolia and is the most active site, with launches of the Long March 2C, 

2D, and 2F typically taking place. Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center is located in the 

northeast of the country, with Xichang Satellite Launch Center located further south. 

Polar-bound Long March 4 vehicles tend to launch from Taiyuan, whereas GEObound Long March 3B vehicles launch from Xichang. The Chinese government is 

building a site on Hainan Island called Wencheng Satellite Launch Center, and this 

is expected to open by 2018.

The French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), together with 

the European Space Agency (ESA), operates the Guiana Space Center in French 

Guiana. This site is used to launch the Ariane 5, Soyuz 2, and Vega, provided by 

Arianespace.

Japan has two active launch sites. The Tanegashima Space Center is the larger of 

the two, and it is from this location that the H-IIA and H-IIB vehicles are launched. 

Previously known as Kagoshima Space Center, the Uchinoura Space Center is the 

launch site for the newly introduced small-class vehicle called Epsilon.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) operates India’s sole launch site, 

the Satish Dhawan Space Center located near Sriharikota. Inaugurated in 1971, 

this is the launch site for ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the 

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). ISRO’s next vehicle, the more 

powerful LMV-3, will also launch from this site.

The Israeli Defense Force operates an orbital launch pad from Palmachim Air Force 

Base. It is from here that the country’s Shavit vehicle is launched. Iran launches 

its Safir orbital vehicle from Semnan located in the north of the country near the 

Caspian Sea. North Korea’s Unha launch vehicle is launched from the Sohae 

Satellite Launching Station located in the country’s northeast. Finally, South Korea’s 

launch site for the Naro-1 vehicle is located at the Naro Space Center.

Figure 4 on the next two pages shows the locations of these launch sites as well as 

active suborbital sites.

31
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

Cape Canaveral AFS

Kennedy Space Center

Cape Canaveral Spaceport

Wallops Flight Facility

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Vandenburg AFB

California Spaceport

Pacific Spaceport 

Complex Alaska

Pacific Missile Range Facility

Guiana Space Center

Figure 4. The location of orbital launch sites worldwide.

32
Launch and Reentry Sites

Satish 

Dhawan

Dombarovsky

Plesetsk

Jiuquan

Xichang

Taiyuan

Vostochny

Wencheng

 Tanegashima

Uchinoura

Sohae

Naro Palmachim AFB Semnan

Baikonur

33
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

34

A SpaceX Dragon orbits the 

Earth on the Spx-5 mission to 

the ISS, launched on January 

10, 2015. Source: NASA
Payloads

PAYLOADS

In the case of an orbital launch, the payload can be a satellite, a space probe, 

an on-orbit vehicle, or a platform that carries humans, animals, or cargo. Such 

satellites, probes, or on-orbit vehicles and platforms, often generally referred to 

as spacecraft, are usually separated from a launch vehicle (or its upper stage) 

to continue their spaceflight independently, in an Earth orbit, or beyond it.

Suborbital reusable vehicles can carry various types of payloads, including but 

not limited to humans, scientific instruments, or hardware and materials subject 

to microgravity and other space environment testing that are subsequently 

returned to the ground inside or on the suborbital vehicles that launched 

them. In cases when a suborbital vehicle would be used to launch a satellite 

or, possibly, another type of spacecraft, it would be separated from it, often 

combined with an upper stage or a booster, similar to an orbital payload launch 

described above.

State of the Payload Industry

The first orbital payloads were satellites launched into LEO. They were followed 

by on-orbit vehicles and platforms, including space stations, carrying humans, 

Earth observation, communications, and scientific satellites carrying sensors, 

telescopes, and transponders, launched into other types of orbits, including 

sun-synchronous (SSO), highly elliptical, and geosynchronous orbit (GEO), 

and scientific probes sent to such destinations as the Moon, planets, and other 

destinations within and beyond our solar system.

Space industry companies and organizations worldwide, sometimes the same 

as launch vehicle manufacturers but also those specifically dedicated to 

spacecraft manufacturing, produce these spacecraft. Commercially launched 

payloads are typically used for the following mission types:

• Commercial communications satellites;

• Commercial remote sensing or Earth observation satellites;

• Commercial crew and cargo missions, including on-orbit vehicles and 

platforms;

• Technology test and demonstration missions, usually new types of payloads 

undergoing test or used to test new launch vehicle technology; and

• Other commercially launched payloads, usually satellites launched for 

various purposes by governments of countries not having indigenous 

orbital launch capability.

All orbital payloads are divided into mass classes, described in Appendix 1 on 

Page 58.

Global Payload Industry

Countries and jurisdictions worldwide that possess functional and operating 

indigenous payload manufacturing sectors are China, the European Union, 

India, Japan, Russia, and the United States. Countries that have developed and 

built their own spacecraft include Argentina, Iran, Israel, North Korea, South 

35
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

36

Korea, and Ukraine. A total of over 30 countries have developed and built at 

least one orbital payload, usually a satellite. The payload building capability of 

more than half of these countries is limited to CubeSats, built from pre-fabricated 

kits by universities and government and non-profit organizations.

Table 6 presents civil, military, and commercial orbital payloads, by country of 

manufacturer, in 2015. In 2015, 42 CubeSats, most of them commercial, were 

launched as cargo for subsequent deployment from the ISS. Sixteen CubeSats 

for commercial remote sensing operator Planet Labs were launched aboard Spx6 mission in April. Eighteen CubeSats were launched in August aboard the HTV 

cargo spacecraft, 14 of them for Planet Labs and 4 more CubeSats for research 

and development purposes. Eight Planet Labs’ CubeSats were lost in the Spx-7 

launch incident in June. These satellites are counted separately because they are 

not deployed in their respective orbits at the time of the separation from the launch 

vehicle and are stored inside an on-orbit cargo vehicle.

U.S. Payload Industry

The backbone of the United States payload industry consists of the established 

aerospace companies and major U.S. government space and defense prime 

contractors developing and manufacturing spacecraft, launched commercially:

• Ball Aerospace

• The Boeing Company

• Lockheed Martin Corporation

• Orbital ATK

• Space Systems Loral (SSL)

These companies build spacecraft, mostly of large- and medium- but also smallmass class, for civil, military and commercial uses. Three of the five companies, 

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Orbital ATK are also launch vehicle manufacturers. 

Ball Aerospace and SSL are strictly payload (spacecraft) companies. 

Country of 

Manufacturer Civil Military Non-Profit Commercial Total

Argentina 0 0 0 1 1

Canada 0 0 0 1 1

China 7 8 24 6 45

Europe 11 1 1 10 23

India 4 0 0 0 4

Indonesia 1 0 0 0 1

Iran 1 0 0 0 1

Japan 1 2 0 1 4

Russia 12 13 0 0 25

Singapore 1 0 4 1 6

South Korea 1 0 0 0 1

USA 18 14 19 33 84

TOTALS 57 38 48 53 196

Table 6. Number of civil, military, non-profit, and commercial, payloads launched in 2015 by country 

of manufacturer.
Payloads

Companies, such as Harris, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon, develop and 

produce specialized payload components, including antennas, electronics, and 

other subsystems.

Other U.S. companies, many established in the last 15 years, manufacture 

spacecraft of all mass classes, for civil, military, and commercial use.

Commercial On-orbit Vehicle and Platforms

NASA started the commercial crew and cargo program to help commercial 

companies develop new capabilities for transporting crew and cargo to the 

International Space Station (ISS). These services are intended to replace some 

of the ISS resupply services performed by the Space Shuttle. The first of these 

vehicles, SpaceX’s Dragon, became operational in 2012, restoring NASA’s 

ability to deliver and retrieve cargo in LEO. Crewed vehicles made many 

advances in 2015 but are not expected to become operational before 2017.

On-orbit vehicle and platform development by commercial companies 

conducted in 2015 included:

• Four cargo missions were conducted as part of NASA’s ISS CRS 

contracts with SpaceX. The Orbital ATK OA-4 mission was conducted 

using an Atlas V launch vehicle provided by ULA following the 

2014 launch failure of Orbital’s Antares vehicle. Antares is currently 

undergoing upgrades, including new RD-181 engines, provided by NPO 

Energomash. Its return to flight is not expected until the Spring of 2016.

• SpaceX conducted three cargo missions: Two were successful while the Spx7 mission was lost following a launch failure. The next SpaceX cargo mission 

is expected not earlier than in January 2016, following the Falcon 9 vehicle 

return to flight, launching satellites for commercial clients in December 2015.

Boeing continues to develop the CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX is developing 

the Crewed Dragon for the NASA Commercial Crew Transportation Capability 

(CCtCap) program. Sierra Nevada Corp., which is developing the Dream 

Chaser, vows to continue working on its winged vehicle. Blue Origin continues 

work on its New Shepard suborbital vehicle, and announced in 2015 more 

detailed plans to develop its orbital spacecraft and launch vehicle. 

Table 7 lists on-orbit vehicles and platforms currently offered or being 

developed in the U.S. 

Operator Vehicle Launch Vehicle Maximum Cargo

kg (lb)

Maximum Crew 

Size First Flight

SpaceX Dragon Falcon 9 6,000 (13,228) 0 2010

SpaceX Crewed Dragon Falcon 9 TBD 7 2017

Orbital ATK Cygnus Antares 3,500 (7,716) 0 2013

Boeing CST-100 Starliner Atlas V

Falcon 9 TBD 7 2017

Sierra Nevada 

Corp. Dream Chaser Atlas V TBD TBD TBD

Blue Origin Space Vehicle Atlas V

Blue Origin TBD 7 TBD

Table 7. On-orbit vehicles in service or under development.

37
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

38

One of the last Delta II vehicles, 

provided by ULA, stands 

poised to launch NASA’s 

Soil Moisture Active Passive 

(SMAP) mission on January 31, 

2015 from Vandenberg AFB, 

California. Source: NASA
2015 Launch Events and Trends

2015 LAUNCH EVENTS

Space launch activity worldwide is carried out by the civil, military, and commercial 

sectors. This section summarizes U.S. and international orbital launch activities 

for calendar year 2015, including launches licensed by the Federal Aviation 

Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA AST).

Countries and jurisdictions worldwide that possess functional and operating 

indigenous launch industries are the United States, Russia, China, European 

Union, India, Japan, Israel, Iran, North Korea, and South Korea. Several other 

countries, including Argentina, Brazil, and Indonesia, are developing launch vehicle 

technologies.

Table 8 presents civil, military, and commercial orbital launches by country in 2015.

Country/Region Civil Military Commercial Total

Russia 14 7 5 26

USA 4 8 8 20

China 12 7 0 19

Europe 5 0 6 11

India 3 0 2 5

Japan 1 2 1 4

Iran 1 0 0 1

TOTALS 40 24 22 86

Table 8. Total orbital launches in 2015 by country and type.

In 2015, the United States, Russia, Europe, China, Japan, India, and Iran 

conducted a total of 86 orbital launches, 22 of which were commercial (See 

Figure 5). In 2014 there were 92 launches, including 23 commercial launches.

Three of the 86 launches failed; these included two commercial launches, one 

provided by International Launch Services of a Proton M carrying Mexsat-1 

communications satellite and one provided by SpaceX of a Falcon 9 launch 

Commercial

22 (26%)

Non-Commercial 

64 (74%)

Total: 86 launches

Figure 5. 2015 total worldwide 

launch activity.

Russia

5 (23%)

Europe

6 (27%)

Total:

22 Commercial 

Launches

USA

8 (36%)

Japan: 1 (5%)

India

2 (9%)

Figure 6. 2015 total worldwide commercial 

launch activity.

39
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

carrying a Dragon cargo spacecraft (Spx-7) to the ISS under a Commercial 

Resupply Services (CRS) with NASA. The third was of a U.S. Air Force 

sponsored Super Strypi vehicle launched from Hawaii.

Highlights of 2015 in the orbital space launch industry:

• The United States performed 8 commercial orbital launches. 

• NASA continued its ISS CRS program, with the launch of five resupply 

missions. However, the Spx-7 mission of a Dragon cargo spacecraft 

launched by a Falcon 9 vehicle resulted in a launch failure. It was the 

second failure of a CRS mission, following an Antares vehicle failure in 

October 2014;

• SpaceX continued to launch payloads for commercial clients, including 

three commercial launches to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 

and one to LEO. Falcon 9 successfully returned to flight launching 11 

ORCOMM satellites in December 2015;

• United Launch Alliance (ULA) performed 13 missions, launching nine 

Atlas V, three Delta IV, and one Delta II; and

• Two new orbital launch vehicles were successfully tested. The Chinese 

Long March 6 and Long March 11 launch vehicles were introduced,

successfully deploying a large number of small satellites. The inaugural 

launch of the U.S. Super Strypi vehicle ended in failure shortly after 

launch from Hawaii.

Revenues from the 22 commercial orbital launches in 2015 were estimated to be 

$2.15 billion. These revenues are only slightly lower than in 2014 and consistent 

with commercial launch revenue in 2009, 2010, and 2012. The estimated 

commercial orbital launch revenues of $617 million for U.S. providers was about 

half a billion dollars lower than in 2014, due to the delays in commercial launch 

schedule following the last and this years’ accidents with the Antares and Falcon 

9 launch vehicles (See Figure 7). 

Figure 7. 2015 estimated revenues for commercial launches by country of 

service provider.

$66M

$617M

$1,066M

$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$289M

US$ Millions

USA Europe Russia India

$113M

Japan

40
2015 Launch Events and Trends

FAA AST 2015 ORBITAL LAUNCH ACTIVITY

FAA AST licensed eight commercial orbital launches in 2015, compared to 12 

licensed launches in 2014 (Table 9). SpaceX’s Falcon 9 vehicle was used in 

six licensed launches: three in January, April, and June under NASA’s CRS 

program, and three for commercial satellite operators Eutelsat and ORBCOMM, 

and for the government of Turkmenistan. ULA’s Atlas V vehicles successfully 

launched a communications satellite for Mexico and a Cygnus cargo module to 

ISS on behalf of Orbital ATK.

Figure 8 shows that the number of FAA AST-licensed orbital launches in 2015 

was slightly less than the number in 2014. The drop is due to a delay in Falcon 9 

launches following the June 2015 accident.

Table 10 on the next page provides specifications for the four vehicle types 

that were launched during 2015 under an FAA license. Note that the Falcon 9 

was introduced in 2010, and that this early variant flew successfully five times 

from 2010 to 2013. The Falcon 9 v1.1 has flown 14 times, with one failure, since 

its introduction in 2013. SpaceX is introduced a more powerful version in 2015 

called Falcon 9 Full Thrust.

Date Vehicle Primary Payload Orbit Launch 

Outcome

1/10/2015 Falcon 9 Spx-5 LEO Success

3/1/2015 Falcon 9 Eutelsat 115 

West B GEO Success

4/14/2015 Falcon 9 Spx-6 LEO Success

4/27/2015 Falcon 9 TurkmenAlem52E GEO Success

6/28/2015 Falcon 9 Spx-7 LEO Failure

10/2/2015 Atlas V Morelos 3 GEO Success

12/6/2015 Atlas V OA-4 LEO Success

12/21/2015 Falcon 9 ORBCOMM LEO Success

Table 9. 2015 FAA AST-licensed orbital launch events.

Figure 8. FAA AST-licensed orbital launch events, 2011-2015.

12

1

5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

7

Number of Launches

2011 2012 2013 2014

8

2015

41
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

FAA AST 2015 REENTRY LICENSE SUMMARY

There were three reentries conducted under an FAA reentry license in 2015. 

Two SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft performed the licensed reentries, in January 

and May, completing its fifth and sixth CRS missions to the ISS.

Table 10. U.S. and FAA AST-licensed launch vehicles active in 2015.

Vehicle Atlas V 401 Atlas V 421 Falcon 9 v1.1 Falcon 9 

(Dragon)

Falcon 9 Full 

Thrust

2015 Total Launches 4 2 3 3 1

2015 Licensed Launches 1 1 2 3 1

Launch Reliability (2015) 4/4

100%

2/2

100%

3/3

100%

2/3

67%

2/2

100%

Launch Reliability

(Last 10 Years)

30/30

100%

5/5

100%

11/11

100%

4/5

80%

2/2

100%

Year of First Launch* 2002 2007 2013 2014 2015

Active Launch Sites CCAFS, VAFB CCAFS, VAFB CCAFS, VAFB CCAFS CCAFS, VAFB

LEO

kg (lbs)

9,797

(21,598)

14,067

(31,012)

13,150

(28,991)

9,000

(19,842)

17,095 est

(37,688)

GTO

kg (lbs)

4,750

(10,470)

6,890

(15,190)

4,850

(10,692) -- 6,305 est

(13,900)

42
2015 Launch Events and Trends

43

FAA AST 2015 SUBORBITAL LAUNCH SUMMARY

Suborbital launches carried out in 2015 under FAA licenses or experimental 

permits:

• SpaceX conducted a successful pad abort test of its Dragon crewed 

capsule on May 6 under an FAA license;

• Two flights were conducted under an FAA Experimental Permit by Blue 

Origin-built New Shepard vehicle.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

44

Blue Origin’s New Shepard 

booster as it appeared shortly 

after landing following a test 

launch on November 23, 2015. 

The vehicle, which flew under 

an FAA AST Experimental 

Permit, was the first in history to 

launch vertically, enter space at 

a suborbital velocity, and land 

vertically. Source: Blue Origin
U.S. COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION LAW 

AND POLICY

National governments, acting both independently and cooperatively, develop 

laws and guidelines to assign responsibility and to provide direction and 

accountability for space activities, including space transportation. The 

U.S. government also works with other countries to develop and advance 

cooperation and best practices for space transportation operations. 

This section briefly describes the international treaties that provide a global 

framework for the space activities of signatories, as well as U.S. law and policy 

that specifically govern U.S. space activities. FAA AST also receives public input 

in support of regulatory development via the Commercial Space Transportation 

Advisory Committee (COMSTAC), so this section includes a description of that 

body and its activities during the calendar year.

CURRENT LAW AND POLICY

International Treaties

The foundational instrument of the outer space legal regime is the 1967 Treaty 

on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of 

Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (referred to as 

the “Outer Space Treaty” or OST). The treaty, drafted by the United Nations 

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), entered into 

force on October 10, 1967. As of December 31, 2015, there are 104 state 

signatories to the treaty. 

The OST established a series of broad principles that have been elaborated 

upon and implemented in a series of subsequent international treaties and 

national laws. These principles include:

• The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried on for the benefit 

and in the interests of all mankind;

• Outer space and celestial bodies are free for exploration and use by all 

States;

• Outer space and celestial bodies are not subject to national 

appropriation;

• No weapons of mass destruction are permitted in outer space;

• The Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for 

peaceful purposes;

• States shall be responsible for their national activities in outer space, 

whether carried on by governmental or non-governmental entities;

• The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space shall require 

the authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State;

• States shall retain jurisdiction and control over their space objects and 

any personnel thereon;

• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and

• States shall avoid the harmful contamination of outer space.

U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Policies and Regulations

45
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

The OST was followed by the 1968 Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the 

Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, the 

1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, 

the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, and 

the 1979 Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other 

Celestial Bodies, the latter of which has not been ratified by the United States.

The U.S. government carries out its space-related responsibilities through 

several different agencies. FAA AST regulates the U.S. commercial space 

transportation industry; encourages, facilitates, and promotes commercial 

space launches and reentries by the U.S. private sector; recommends 

appropriate changes in federal statutes, treaties, regulations, policies, plans, 

and procedures; and facilitates the strengthening and expansion of the U.S. 

space transportation infrastructure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) is responsible for issuing licenses to U.S-based nonfederal organizations that intend to operate remote sensing satellites (under 

the 1992 Land Remote Sensing Policy Act). The Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) requires operators of non-federal satellites that employ 

radio communications to be licensed. The provisions of the 1976 Arms Export 

Control Act are implemented under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations 

(ITAR), which control the export and import of defense-related technologies 

and services identified on the United States Munitions List (USML) managed by 

the Department of State, which includes some space hardware. In addition to 

ITAR, there is the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which contains the 

Commercial Control List (CCL) managed by the Department of Commerce. The 

CCL also captures various space-related technologies.

U.S. Law and Policy

Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984

The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984, as amended and re-codified at 

51 U.S.C. 50901-50923, authorizes DOT and, through delegation, FAA AST, 

to oversee, authorize, and regulate both launches and reentries of launch and 

reentry vehicles, and the operation of launch and reentry sites when carried out 

by U.S. citizens or within the United States. The act directs the FAA to exercise 

this responsibility consistent with public health and safety, safety of property, 

and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. The 

act also directs FAA AST to encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial 

space launches and reentries by the private sector, including those involving 

spaceflight participants.

Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship 

(SPACE) Act of 2015

During FY 2015, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed bills exclusively 

focused on commercial space activities. A compromise bill, the SPACE Act, 

was passed by the Senate on November 10, the House of Representatives 

on November 16, and signed by President Barack Obama on November 25. 

This act supercedes the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 

(CSLAA) signed into law on December 23, 2004 by President George W. Bush. 

The full text of the act is available on the FAA AST website.

46
Generally, the SPACE Act covers responsibilities under the Department of 

Transportation and Department of Commerce as they relate to commercial 

space activities. The act also includes sections on space resource exploration 

and utilization by U.S.-based private entities. 

The SPACE Act continues FAA AST responsibilities previously outlined under 

CSLAA, but does include an extension of indemnification for U.S. launch 

providers for extraordinary catastrophic third-party losses of a failed launch 

through 2025, while the previous indemnification law was scheduled to expire 

in 2016. The Act also extends, through 2025, the “learning period” restrictions 

which limit the ability of FAA AST to enact regulations regarding the safety of 

spaceflight participants. 

FAA AST Advisory Circulars, Guidelines, and Handbooks

Guidance documents provide information to aid understanding and compliance 

with specific FAA regulations. They include Advisory Circulars, guidelines, 

handbooks, and sample applications about commercial space transportation 

safety and other regulatory matters. Although not guidance, per se, legal 

interpretations from the FAA’s Office of the Chief Counsel address specific legal 

issues that have precedential effect. FAA AST has issued legal interpretations 

on subjects, such as the regulation of spacecraft that produce sonic booms, 

launch site-licensing requirements, delivery of regulations to mobile devices, 

and legal definitions. These documents are available on the FAA AST website.

2010 National Space Policy

The National Space Policy expresses the President’s direction for the nation’s 

space activities. Broadly, it recognizes the rights of all nations to access, use, 

and explore space for peaceful purposes; promotes international cooperation 

in space science and exploration, Earth sciences, and space surveillance; and 

emphasizes openness and transparency. Specific to U.S. activities in space, the 

policy recommends that the U.S. government use commercial space products 

and services in fulfilling governmental needs, and emphasizes the need for 

partnerships between NASA and the private sector. It highlights the need to 

invest in space situational awareness capabilities, orbital debris mitigation, and 

launch vehicle technologies, among other issues relating to national security 

in particular. Finally, it states that the U.S. will accelerate the development of 

satellites to observe and study the Earth’s environment, and conduct research 

programs to study the Earth’s lands, oceans, and atmosphere.

2013 National Space Transportation Policy

On November 21, 2013, the White House issued the 2013 National Space 

Transportation Policy, which updates and replaces the 2004 U.S. Space 

Transportation Policy. It provides guidance to federal departments and 

agencies on the development and use of commercial and governmental 

space transportation systems. The policy provides comprehensive guidance 

to all federal departments and agencies on U.S. priorities and on roles and 

responsibilities with respect to space transportation issues and programs.

The overarching goal of the policy is to have assured access to diverse regions 

of space in support of civil and national security missions. To further this goal, the 

U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Policies and Regulations

47
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

policy prescribes actions aimed at improving U.S. launch industry robustness, cost 

effectiveness, innovation, entrepreneurship, and international competitiveness.

Under the policy, the U.S. government will use commercial space transportation 

products and services to help fulfill government needs, invest in new and 

advanced technologies and concepts, and use a broad array of partnerships 

with industry to promote innovation. The policy is also designed to encourage 

partnerships with private industry to put U.S. government instruments on nongovernmental spacecraft, which will increase scientific and other capabilities, 

facilitate access to space, and save taxpayer dollars using arrangements known 

as “hosted payloads.” It also aims to foster cooperation with industry to develop 

guidelines for the development and expansion of current and future U.S. space 

transportation systems and directs further research and development to improve 

the reliability, responsiveness, performance, and cost effectiveness of the U.S. 

commercial human spaceflight market.

COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY 

COMMITTEE

Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) was 

established in 1984 to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the 

FAA Administrator on critical matters concerning the U.S. commercial space 

transportation industry.

The economic, technical, and institutional expertise provided by COMSTAC 

members has been invaluable to FAA AST in developing effective regulations 

that ensure safety during commercial launch operations and policies that 

support international competitiveness for the industry.

Purpose, Scope, and 2015 Membership

COMSTAC provides information, advice, and recommendations to the FAA 

Administrator on all matters relating to U.S. commercial space transportation 

industry activities. It does not exercise program management responsibilities 

and makes no decisions directly affecting the programs on which it provides 

advice; it only provides a forum for the development, consideration, and 

communication of information from a knowledgeable, independent perspective.

COMSTAC’s charter allows it to:

• Undertake such information-gathering activities as necessary to address 

issues identified by the FAA for consideration by the committee, develop 

recommendations on those issues, and present the committee’s 

recommendations to the Administrator.

• Evaluate economic, technological, and institutional developments 

relating to commercial space transportation and submit to the 

Administrator recommendations on promising new ideas and 

approaches for federal policies and programs.

• Provide the FAA with direct, first-hand information and insight from 

the substantially affected interests by exchanging ideas about FAA 

regulations and rulemakings that may require changes or elimination. 

The committee’s activities must satisfy the normal rulemaking and 

48
public comment process. The FAA will disclose in the public docket 

any committee communication on any particular issue in a rulemaking. 

The FAA will include an assessment of how the communication affects 

the development of proposed rules in the docket or preamble of any 

proposed rule. The committee will undertake only those tasks assigned 

by the FAA. Neither the committee nor any of its working groups may 

assign a task without prior approval by the FAA.

• Serve as a forum for the discussion of problems involving the relationship 

between industry activities and federal government requirements.

The following individuals served as members of COMSTAC during 2015:

• Michael Gold (Chair), Bigelow Aerospace

• Michael Lopez-Alegria (Vice-Chair), MLA Space

• Bretton Alexander, Blue Origin

• Christine Anderson, New Mexico Spaceport Authority

• Chuck Beams, Vulcan

• Mark Campbell, Aerospace Medical Association

• Daniel Collins, United Launch Alliance

• Patricia Cooper, Intelsat

• Richard DalBello, Virgin Galactic

• Debra Facktor Lepore, Ball Aerospace

• Peter Fahrenhold, Northrop Grumman Corporation

• Oscar Garcia, InterFlight Global Corporation

• Jeff Greason, XCOR Aerospace

• Michael Griffin, Schafer Corporation

• Wayne Hale, Special Aerospace Services

• Dan Hendrickson, Astrobotic Technology

• Timothy Hughes, SpaceX

• Livingston Holder, Holder Aerospace

• Ray Johnson, The Aerospace Corporation

• Janet Karika, Interagency Launch Programs

• Bill Khourie, Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority

• Christopher Kunstadter, XL Insurance

• Samantha Marquart, George Washington University

• James McMurry, Boeing

• Will Pomeranz, Virgin Galactic

• Charles Precourt, Orbital ATK

• Frank Slazer, Aerospace Industries Association

• Mark Sundhahl, Cleveland State University

• Wilbur Trafton, Will Trafton and Associates, Inc.

• Jennifer Warren, Lockheed Martin

U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Policies and Regulations

49
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

2015 Activities

Standards Working Group 

The Working Group was formed at the last COMSTAC meeting in September 

2014. It met via teleconference in December 2014 and February 2015. The 

focus of the Working Group has been on U.S. industry consensus standards, 

specifically on the space industry’s prioritization rationale in making standards, 

and the process by which they are developed with FAA AST. The current leader 

in developing standards is the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF): Its top 

prioritization rationale is human spaceflight occupancy safety. The Standards 

Working Group found the industry benefits from the rigorous prioritization and 

subsequent selection and adoption of consensus standards. COMSTAC agreed 

with this finding.

The working group recommended that COMSTAC meet occasionally with FAA 

AST to discuss the standards making process. It further recommended that FAA 

AST should reach out to industry in helping develop a breathable atmosphere 

standard, and start to create a hub where the two groups can jointly work 

together to catalog, prioritize, and adopt new standards. 

Operations Working Group 

During the April 2015 COMSTAC meeting, Janet Karika, Chair of the Operations 

Working Group, introduced Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jertberg, the Chief of the 

Launch and Range Branch at Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Headquarters. 

Lt. Col. Jertberg said AFSPC is committed to maintaining the Eastern and Western 

ranges of the U.S. civil and national space lift, and to continue to provide the 

instrumentation to support test and space lift users. Due to recent sequestration, 

AFSPC had to put many instrumentation assets into standby status, which, 

along with aging infrastructure, meant that several launches were scrubbed. 

However, recently, AFSPC has begun to restore these assets. AFSPC is also in 

the process of rewriting requirement documents for range assets. The Working 

Group recommended that FAA AST should continue to advocate for commercial 

user range requirements in the 30SW and 45SW forums, as well as advocate for 

AFSPC to continue open communications with stakeholders concerning major 

changes to the ranges before decisions are finalized. 

The Operations Working Group also found that creating an FAA AST spaceport 

directory would be a useful tool. There are currently 10 licensed spaceports 

and a directory would give general information and information about launch 

capability for each location. It would provide potential customers useful data 

for initial screening and establishing direct contact with a potential spaceport, 

and would be updated as new spaceports come online. The working group 

recommended that FAA AST develop a spaceport directory, distribute an 

information template to spaceports for completion, and identify the mechanism 

for publication, distribution and maintenance of the directory.

Business/Legal Working Group 

The Business/Legal Working Group met in the morning session of the April 

2015 COMSTAC meeting and group chair Christopher Kunstadter presented 

50
the group’s deliberations and recommendations. The working group observed 

that FAA AST is authorized to promulgate safety regulations to promote safety of 

crew and spaceflight participants, and that while industry standards are a key 

part of producing a culture of continuous safety improvement, industry is not 

always willing to develop these standards.

The Business/Legal Working Group recommended that FAA AST identify three 

specific recommendations for potential standards for commercial human 

spaceflight each year, and should continue to ensure that the safety experience 

of all vehicles and operators is made known publicly. It also recommended 

that the current safety regime as described in the CSLA as amended should 

be extended until October 1, 2020, during which time FAA AST should inform 

industry when it becomes aware of safety-related incidents and work with 

industry and COMSTAC to develop practices and/or standards to reduce the 

likelihood of similar future incidents. 

The working group further recommended that FAA AST convey COMSTAC 

support to Congress for granting FAA AST the authority to establish a process 

for issuing a Mission License for any space-based activity that is not under 

the jurisdiction of an existing government agency. Under this proposed 

arrangement, the White House should identify an agency to maintain a registry 

of Mission Licenses and FAA AST should be authorized to require any Mission 

License to provide updated information.

International Space Policy Working Group

During the April 2015 COMSTAC meeting, the International Space Policy 

Working Group found that FAA AST has an important role and opportunity 

to provide input on matters, such as export control, and should advocate for 

modernized regulations and practices. The U.S. space industry will benefit 

from placing human spaceflight systems under the auspices of the Export 

Administration Regulations (EAR). The working group observed that an 

important concern articulated by the Department of Defense (DoD) considering 

the transition of technologies from the United States Munitions List (USML) to 

the Commerce Control List (CCL) is the control of systems and technologies 

that could provide anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. As such, the working group 

recommended that FAA AST convene with industry to identify characteristics 

relevant to ASAT capabilities that can inform export control reform. 

The International Space Policy Working Group also recommended that FAA 

AST advocate for unarmed, commercial suborbital spacecraft, particularly if 

controlled by an onboard pilot, be transferred to the CCL if such spacecraft is 

covered by an FAA AST license or permit.

The working group further observed that past COMSTAC recommendations 

and Congressional report language have stressed the importance of 

providing noninterference for private sector activities on celestial bodies. A 

recommendation was advanced that FAA AST provide more detail about the 

definition of “non-interference” through a dialogue with industry and COMSTAC.

U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Policies and Regulations

51
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

56
DEFINITIONS

Commercial Suborbital or Orbital Launch

A commercial suborbital or orbital launch has one or more of these 

characteristics:

• The launch is licensed by FAA AST.

• The primary payload’s launch contract was internationally competed 

(see definition of internationally competed below). A primary payload 

is generally defined as the payload with the greatest mass on a launch 

vehicle for a given launch.

• The launch is privately financed without government support.

Launch Failure

A launch failure happens when the payload does not reach a usable orbit (an 

orbit where some portion of the mission can be salvaged) or is destroyed as the 

result of a launch vehicle malfunction.

Internationally Competed

An internationally competed launch contract is one in which the launch 

opportunity was available in principle to any capable launch service provider. 

Such a launch is considered commercial.

Commercial Payload

A commercial payload has one or both of these characteristics:

• The payload is operated by a private company.

• The payload is funded by the government, but provides satellite service 

partially or totally through a private or semi-private company. This 

distinction is usually applied to certain telecommunications satellites 

whose transponders are partially or totally leased to a variety of 

organizations, some or all of which generate revenues. Examples include 

Russia’s Express and Ekran series of spacecraft. 

All other payloads are classified as non-commercial (government civil, 

government military, or non-profit).

Orbits

A spacecraft in geostationary Earth orbit (GSO) is synchronized with the 

Earth’s rotation, orbiting once every 24 hours, and appears to an observer on 

the ground to be stationary in the sky. Geosynchronous (GEO) is a broader 

category used for any circular orbit at an altitude of 35,852 kilometers (22,277 

miles) with a low inclination (i.e., near or on the equator).

Non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellites are those in orbits other than GEO. 

Appendix I: Definitions and Acronyms 

57
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

58

They are located in low Earth orbit (LEO, lowest achievable orbit to about 2,400 

kilometers, or 1,491 miles), medium Earth orbit (MEO, 2,400 kilometers to GEO), 

SSO (Sun Synchronous Orbit), and all other orbits or trajectories. ELI (“elliptical”) 

describes a highly elliptical orbit (such as those used for Russian Molniya 

satellites), and EXT (“external”) describes trajectories beyond GEO (such as 

interplanetary trajectories).

Vehicle Mass Class

Small launch vehicles are defined as those with a payload capacity of less than 

2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) at 185 kilometers (100 nautical miles) altitude and 

a 28.5-degree inclination. Medium to heavy launch vehicles are capable of carrying 

more than 2,269 kilograms at 185 kilometers altitude and a 28.5-degree inclination.

Payload Mass Class

Table 11 provides the payload mass classes used by the FAA AST.

Class Name Kilograms (kg) Pounds (lb)

Femto 0.01 - 0.1 0.02 - 0.2

Pico 0.09 - 1 0.19 - 2

Nano 1.1 - 10 3 - 22

Micro 11 - 200 23 - 441

Mini 201 - 600 442 - 1,323

Small 601 - 1,200 1,324 - 2,646

Medium 1,201 - 2,500 2,647 - 5,512

Intermediate 2,501 - 4,200 5,513 - 9,259

Large 4,201 - 5,400 9,260 - 11,905

Heavy 5,401 - 7,000 11,906 - 15,432

Extra Heavy >7,001 >15,433

Table 11. Payload mass classes.
Appendix 1: Definitions and Acronyms 

59

ACRONYMS

21AT Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Company Ltd.

ABS Asia Broadcast Satellite

AIS Automatic Identification System

ADF Australian Defense Force

ATK Alliant Technologies

ATV Automated Transfer Vehicle

BEAM Bigelow Expandable Activity Module

BMBF Federal Ministry of Education and Research

BPA Blok Perspektivnoy Avioniki

CASSIOPE Cascade, Smallsat, and Ionospheric Polar Explorer

CAST Chinese Academy of Space Technology

CCAFS Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

CCDev Commercial Crew Development

CCiCAP Commercial Crew Integrated Capacity

CEO Chief Executive Officer

CHIRP Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload Flight Demonstration Program

COMSTAC Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee

COTS Commercial Orbital Transportation Services

CPC Certification Product Contract

CRS Commercial Resupply Services

CSA Canadian Space Agency

CSSWE Colorado Student Space Weather Experiment

CST-100 Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100 Starliner)

CXBN Cosmic X-Ray Background

DARS Digital Audio Radio Service

DBS Direct Broadcasting Services

DEM Digital Elevation Model

DLR Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German space agency)

DMC Disaster Monitoring Constellation

DMCii DMC International Imaging, Ltd.

DTH Direct-to-Home

EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company

EAL Excalibur Almaz, Ltd.

ECA Export Credit Agency

EDRS European Data Relay System
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

60

EGNOS European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service

ELaNa Educational Launch of Nanosatellites

ELI Highly Elliptical Orbit (also refered to as HEO)

EROS Earth Remote Observation Satellite

ESA European Space Agency

EXIM Export-Import Band

EXT External or Non-Geocentric Orbit

FAA AST Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Commercial 

SpaceTransportation

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FY Fiscal Year

FSS Fixed Satellite Services

GEO Geosynchronous Orbit

GIS Geographic Information Systems

GMW GeoMetWatch

GPS Global Positioning System

GSLV Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

GSO Geostationary Orbit

GTO Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit

HDTV High Definition Television Services

HPA Hosted Payload Alliance

ICL Imperial College London

ILS International Launch Services

IPO Initial Public Offering

ISRO Indian Space Research Organization

ISS International Space Station

ITAR International Traffic in Arms Regulations

ITT International Telephone & Telegraph

ITU International Telecommunications Union

KARI Korea Aerospace Research Institute

KSLV Korean Space Launch Vehicle

LEO Low Earth Orbit

LCRD Laser Communications Relay Demonstration

LLC Limited Liability Company

MEO Medium Earth Orbit

MHI Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Appendix 2: List of Tables and Figures

61

MPCV Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle

MSS Mobile Satellite Services

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEC Nippon Electric Company

NGA National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

NGSO Non-Geosynchronous Orbits

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

O3b Other Three Billion Networks, Ltd.

OHB Orbitale Hochtechnologie Bremen

Orbital Orbital Sciences Corporation

PSLV Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

RCM RADARSAT Constellation Mission

RRV Reusable Return Vehicle

SAA Space Act Agreement

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SBAS Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems

SNC Sierra Nevada Corporation

SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation

SPOT Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre

SSL Space Systems Loral

SSO Sun-Synchronous Orbit

SSTL Surrey Satellite Technology Limited

TBD To Be Determined

TSX TerraSAR X-band

UAE United Arab Emirates

UCISAT University of California, Irvine Satellite

UHF Ultra-High Frequency

ULA United Launch Alliance

USLM United States Munitions List

USAF United States Air Force

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation System
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

62
Appendix 2: List of Tables and Figures

63

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 (Page 17) Orbital vehicles currently available for commercial use by U.S. providers.

Table 2 (Page 17) Projected orbital launch vehicles that may be available for commercial use in the 

United States.

Table 3 (Page 19) U.S.-based providers of SRVs.

Table 4 (Page 21) FAA AST-licensed launch and reentry sites, in order of when it was first issued a site 

license.

Table 5 (Page 22) Active U.S. government and commercial launch and reentry sites.

Table 6 (Page 36) Number of civil, military, non-profit, and commercial payloads launched in 2015 by 

country of manufacturer.

Table 7 (Page 37) On-orbit vehicles in service or under development.

Table 8 (Page 39) Total orbital launches in 2015 by country or region.

Table 9 (Page 41) 2015 FAA AST-licensed orbital launch events.

Table 10 (Page 42) U.S. and FAA AST-licensed launch vehicles active in 2015.

Table 11 (page 58) Payload mass classes.

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 (Page 7) The general structure of the Annual Compendium and its various supporting fact 

sheets. The fact sheets represented in the graphic are for illustration only.

Figure 2 (Page 15) A typical launch vehicle integration and processing scheme.

Figure 3 (Page 16) A typical arrangement for a launch site and range.

Figure 4 (Page 32-33) The location of orbital launch sites worldwide.

Figure 5 (Page 39) 2015 total worldwide launch activity.

Figure 6 (Page 39) 2015 total worldwide commercial launch activity.

Figure 7 (Page 40) 2015 estimated revenues for commercial launches by country of service provider.

Figure 8 (Page 41) FAA AST-licensed orbital launch events, 2011-2015.
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

64
Appendix 3: 2015 Orbital Launch Manifest

65

 Date Vehicle Site Payload(s) Orbit Operator Manufacturer Use

Comm'l 

Price L M

10-Jan-15 \/ + Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS * Spx-5 LEO SpaceX SpaceX Cargo $61.2M S S

20-Jan-15 Atlas V 551 CCAFS MUOS-3 GEO U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin Communications S S

31-Jan-15 Delta II 7320-10 VAFB

SMAP SSO NASA NASA/JPL Scientific

S

S

FIREBIRD-IIA SSO Montana State 

University

Montana State 

University Development S

FIREBIRD-IIB SSO Montana State 

University

Montana State 

University Development S

GRIFEX SSO NASA/JPL NASA/JPL Development S

ExoCube SSO California Polytechnic 

State University

California Polytechnic 

State University Development S

1-Feb-15 H-IIA 202 Tanegashima IGS Radar Spare SSO Japan Self-Defense 

Forces MELCO IMINT S S

1-Feb-15 \/ Proton M Baikonur Inmarsat-5F2 GEO Inmarsat Boeing Communications $65M S S

2-Feb-15 Safir 2 Semnan Fajr LEO

Iranian Department 

for Science and 

Technology

Iranian Space 

Agency Development S S

11-Feb-15 Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS DSCOVR SSO NOAA Orbital ATK Remote Sensing S S

17-Feb-15 Soyuz Baikonur Progress M-26M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Cargo S S

27-Feb-15 Soyuz 2.1a Plesetsk Cosmos 2503

(Bars -M) SSO Russian Ministry of Defense TsSKB Progress IMINT S S

1-Mar-15 \/ + Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS

* Eutelsat-115 West B GEO Eutelsat Boeing Communications

$61.2M S

S

* ABS-3A GEO Asia Broadcast 

Satellite Boeing Communications S

12-Mar-15 Atlas V 421 CCAFS MMS 1-4 ELI NASA NASA/GSFC Scientific S S

19-Mar-15 Proton M Baikonur Express-AM7 GEO

Russian Satellite 

Communication 

Company (RSCC)

Airbus Communications S S

25-Mar-15 Delta IV 

Medium+ (4,2) CCAFS USA 260(Navstar GPS 2F-09) MEO U.S. Air Force Boeing Navigation S S

25-Mar-15 \/ Dnepr Dombarovsky KOMPSat-3A SSO

Korea Aerospace 

Research Institute 

(KARI)

KARI Remote Sensing $29M S S

26-Mar-15 H-IIA 202 Tanegashima IGS Optical-5 SSO Japan Self-Defense 

Forces MELCO IMINT S S

27-Mar-15 Soyuz Baikonur Soyuz TMA-16M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Crew S S

27-Mar-15 Soyuz 2.1b Guiana 

Space Center

Galileo FOC-3 

(Adam) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation

S

S

Galileo FOC-4 

(Anastasia) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation S

28-Mar-15 PSLV XL Satish 

Dhawan IRNSS-1D GEO

Indian Space 

Research 

Organization (ISRO)

ISRO Navigation S S

30-Mar-15 Long March 3C/

YZ-1 Xichang BDS I1-S GEO

China National 

Space Administration 

(CNSA)

China Academy of 

Space Technology 

(CAST)

Navigation S S

31-Mar-15 Rockot Plesetsk

Gonets-M21 LEO Gonets Satcom NPO Prikladnoi 

Mekhaniki (NPO PM) Communications

S

S

Gonets-M22 LEO Gonets Satcom NPO PM Communications S

Gonets-M23 LEO Gonets Satcom NPO PM Communications S

Cosmos 2504 LEO Russian Ministry of 

Defense Classified Development S

14-Apr-15 \/ + Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS * Spx-6 LEO SpaceX SpaceX Cargo $61.2M S S

26-Apr-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* Thor-7 GEO Telenor Space Systems Loral Communication

$178M S

S

SICRAL-2 

(Syracuse-3C) GEO

Italian Ministry of 

Defense/French 

Defense Procurement 

Agency

Thales Alenia Space Communication S

27-Apr-15 \/ + Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS TurkmenAlem52E/

MonacoSat-1 GEO Turkmenistan National Space Agency Thales Alenia Space Communication $61.2M S S

2015 WORLDWIDE ORBITAL LAUNCH EVENTS
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

66

 Date Vehicle Site Payload(s) Orbit Operator Manufacturer Use

Comm'l 

Price L M

28-Apr-15 Soyuz Baikonur Progress M-27M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Cargo S F

16-May-15 \/ Proton M Baikonur MexSat-1 GEO

Secretariat of 

Communications and 

Transportation

Boeing Communication $65M F F

20-May-15 Atlas V 501 CCAFS

X-37B OTV-4 LEO U.S. Air Force Boeing Development

S

S

AeroCube-8A LEO The Aerospace 

Corporation

The Aerospace 

Corporation Development S

AeroCube-8B LEO The Aerospace 

Corporation

The Aerospace 

Corporation Development S

BRICSat-P LEO U.S. Naval Academy U.S. Naval Academy Development S

GEARRS-2 LEO Taylor University Taylor University Development S

LightSail-A LEO The Planetary Society The Planetary Society Development S

OptiCube-1 LEO California Polytechnic 

State University

California Polytechnic 

State University Development S

OptiCube-2 LEO California Polytechnic 

State University

California Polytechnic 

State University Development S

OptiCube-3 LEO California Polytechnic 

State University

California Polytechnic 

State University Development S

ParkinsonSat LEO U.S. Naval Academy U.S. Naval Academy Development S

ULTRASat LEO NASA NASA Development S

USS Langley LEO U.S. Naval Academy U.S. Naval Academy Development S

27-May-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* DirecTV-15 GEO DirecTV Airbus Communications

$178M S

S

* Sky Mexico-1 GEO SKY México Orbital ATK Communications S

5-Jun-15 Soyuz 2.1a Plestesk Cosmos 2505 

(Kobalt-M) LEO Russian Ministry of Defense TsSKB Progress IMINT S S

22-Jun-15 Vega Guiana 

Space Center Sentinel-2A SSO European Space Agency (ESA) Airbus Remote Sensing S S

23-Jun-15 Soyuz 1.2b Plestesk Cosmos 2506 

(Persona) SSO Russian Ministry of Defense TsSKB Progress IMINT S S

27-Jun-15 Long March 4B Taiyuan Gaofen-8 SSO CNSA CAST Remote Sensing S S

28-Jun-15 \/ + Falcon 9 v1.1 CCAFS * Spx-7 LEO SpaceX SpaceX Cargo $61.2M F F

3-Jul-15 Soyuz Baikonur Progress M-28M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Cargo S S

10-Jul-15 \/ PSLV XL Satish 

Dhawan

* DMC3-A SSO DMCii

Surrey Satellite 

Technology Limited 

(SSTL)

Remote Sensing

$34M S

S

* DMC3-B SSO DMCii SSTL Remote Sensing S

* DMC3-C SSO DMCii SSTL Remote Sensing S

CBNT-1 SSO SSTL SSTL Development S

DeOrbitSail SSO Surrey Space Center SSTL Development S

15-Jul-15 Atlas V 401 CCAFS USA 262

(Navstar GPS 2F-10) MEO U.S. Air Force Boeing Navigation S S

15-Jul-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* Star One C4 GEO Star One Space Systems Loral Communications

$178M S

S

MSG-4 GEO Eumetsat Thales Alenia Space Meteorology S

22-Jul-15 Soyuz Baikonur Soyuz TMA-17M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Crew S S

23-Jul-15 Delta IV 

Medium+ (5,4) CCAFS USA 263WGS-7 GEO U.S. Air Force Boeing Communications S S

25-Jul-15 Long March 3B/

YZ-1 Xichang

BDS M1-S MEO CNSA CAST Navigation SS

BDS M2-S MEO CNSA CAST Navigation S

19-Aug-15 H-IIB Tanegashima HTV-5 LEO

Japan Aerospace 

Exploration Agency 

(JAXA)

Mitsubishi Heavy 

Industries Cargo S S

20-Aug-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* Eutelsat-8 West B GEO Eutelsat Thales Alenia Space Communications

$178M S

S

* Intelsat-34 GEO Intelsat Space Systems Loral Communications S

27-Aug-15 Long March 4C Taiyuan Yaogan-27 SSO People’s Liberation 

Army (PLA)

Shanghai Academy 

of Spaceflight 

Technology (SAST)

IMINT S S

27-Aug-15 GSLV Mk II Satish 

Dhawan GSAT-6 GEO ISRO ISRO Communications S S

28-Aug-15 \/ Proton M Baikonur * Inmarsat-5F3 GEO Inmarsat Boeing Communications $65M S S

2-Sep-15 Soyuz Baikonur Soyuz TMA-18M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Crew S S
Appendix 3: 2015 Orbital Launch Manifest

67

 Date Vehicle Site Payload(s) Orbit Operator Manufacturer Use

Comm'l 

Price L M

2-Sep-15 Atlas V 551 CCAFS MUOS-4 GEO U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin Communications S S

10-Sep-15 Soyuz 2.1b Guiana 

Space Center

Galileo FOC-5

(Alba) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation

S

S

Galileo FOC-6 

(Oriana) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation S

12-Sep-15 Long March 3B Xichang TJSSW-1 GEO PLA Classified Development S S

14-Sep-15 Proton M Baikonur Express-AM8 GEO RSCC ISS Reshetnev Communication S S

14-Sep-15 Long March 2D Jiuquan Gaofen-9 SSO CNSA CAST Remote Sensing S S

19-Sep-15 Long March 6 Taiyuan

DCBB SSO

China Amateur 

Satellite Group 

(CAMSAT)

CAMSAT Other

S

S

LilacSat-2 SSO Harbin Institute of 

Technology (HIT) HIT Development S

NS-2 SSO Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Development S

NUDT-Phone-Sat SSO

National University of 

Defense Technology 

(NUDT)

NUDT Development S

Tiantuo-3 SSO NUDT NUDT Development S

Xingchen-1 SSO NUDT NUDT Development S

Xingchen-2 SSO NUDT NUDT Development S

Xingchen-3 SSO NUDT NUDT Development S

Xingchen-4 SSO NUDT NUDT Development S

Xiwang-2A SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

Xiwang-2B SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

Xiwang-2C SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

Xiwang-2D SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

Xiwang-2E SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

Xiwang-2F SSO CAMSAT CAMSAT Communications S

XY-2 SSO

China Aerospace 

Science and 

Technology 

Corporation (CASC)

CASC Development S

ZDPS-2A SSO Zhejiang University Zhejiang University Development S

ZDPS-2B SSO Zhejiang University Zhejiang University Development S

ZJ-1 SSO Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Development S

ZJ-2 SSO Tsinghua University Tsinghua University Development S

24-Sep-15 Rockot Plesetsk

Cosmos 2507 

(Strela-3M) LEO Russian Ministry of Defense NPO PM Communications

S

S

Cosmos 2508 

(Strela-3M) LEO Russian Ministry of Defense NPO PM Communications S

Cosmos 2509 

(Strela-3M) LEO Russian Ministry of Defense NPO PM Communications S

25-Sep-15 Long March 11 Jiuquan

Pujiang-1 SSO SAST SAST Development

S

S

Tianwang-1A SSO ShanghaiTech ShanghaiTech Development S

Tianwang-1B SSO ShanghaiTech ShanghaiTech Development S

Tianwang-1C SSO ShanghaiTech ShanghaiTech Development S

28-Sep-15 PSLV XL Satish 

Dhawan

Astrosat LEO ISRO ISRO Scientific

S

S

* ExactView-9 LEO exactEarth COM DEV 

International Communications S

LAPAN-A2 LEO

National Institute 

of Aeronautics and 

Space (LAPAN)

LAPAN Remote Sensing S

* Lemur-2 1 LEO Spire Global Spire Global Remote Sensing S

* Lemur-2 2 LEO Spire Global Spire Global Remote Sensing S

* Lemur-2 3 LEO Spire Global Spire Global Remote Sensing S

* Lemur-2 4 LEO Spire Global Spire Global Remote Sensing S

29-Sep-15 Long March 

3B/E BDS I2-S GEO CNSA CAST Navigation S S
Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2016

68

 Date Vehicle Site Payload(s) Orbit Operator Manufacturer Use

Comm'l 

Price L M

30-Sep-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* NBN Co. 1A GEO NBN Co. Ltd. Space Systems Loral Communications

$178M S

S

* Arsat-2 GEO Nahuelsat INVAP Communications S

1-Oct-15 Soyuz Baikonur Progress M-29M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Cargo S S

2-Oct-15 \/ + Atlas V 421 CCAFS Mexsat-3/Morelos-3 GEO

Ministry of 

Communications and 

Transportation

Boeing Communications $180M S S

7-Oct-15 Long March 2D Jiuquan

Jilin-1A SSO

Changchun Institute 

of Optics and Fine 

Mechanics and 

Physics (CIOMP)

CIOMP Remote Sensing

S

S

Jilin-1B SSO CIOMP CIOMP Remote Sensing S

Jilin-1C SSO CIOMP CIOMP Remote Sensing S

Jilin-1D SSO CIOMP CIOMP Remote Sensing S

8-Oct-15 Atlas V 401 VAFB

USA 264 (NOSS) LEO

National 

Reconnaissance 

Office (NRO)

Classified ELINT

S

S

AeroCube-5C LEO The Aerospace 

Corporation

The Aerospace 

Corporation Development S

AeroCube-7 LEO The Aerospace 

Corporation

The Aerospace 

Corporation Development S

AMSAT Fox-1 LEO

Radio Amateur 

Satellite Corporation 

(AMSAT)

AMSAT Communications S

ARC-1 LEO University of Alaska 

Fairbanks

University of Alaska 

Fairbanks Development S

BisonSat LEO Salish Kootenai 

College

Salish Kootenai 

College Remote Sensing S

LMRST-Sat LEO NASA/JPL NASA/JPL Development S

* PropCube-1 LEO Tyvak Nano-Satellite 

Systems

Tyvak Nano-Satellite 

Systems Development S

* PropCube-2 LEO Tyvak Nano-Satellite 

Systems

Tyvak Nano-Satellite 

Systems Development S

SINOD-D 1 LEO SRI International SRI International Development S

SINOD-D 2 LEO SRI International SRI International Development S

SNaP-3A LEO U.S. Army U.S. Army Development S

SNaP-3B LEO U.S. Army U.S. Army Development S

SNaP-3C LEO U.S. Army U.S. Army Development S

16-Oct-15 Long March 

3B/E Xichang APStar-9 GEO APT Satellite Holdings CASC Communications S S

16-Oct-15 \/ Proton M Baikonur * Türksat-4B GEO Türksat MELCO Communications $65M S S

26-Oct-15 Long March 2D Jiuquan Tianhui-1C SSO PLA CASC Remote Sensing S S

31-Oct-15 Atlas V 401 CCAFS USA 265

(Navstar GPS 2F-11) MEO U.S. Air Force Boeing Navigation S S

3-Nov-15 Long March 

3B/E Xichang ChinaSat-2C GEO PLA CAST Communications S S

3-Nov-15 Super Strypi

Pacific 

Missile Range 

Facility

HiakaSat LEO

Operationally 

Responsive Space 

(ORS) Office

ORS Office Development

F

F

Argus LEO St. Louis University/

Vanderbilt University

St. Louis University/

Vanderbilt University Development F

EDSN (8) LEO NASA NASA Development F

PrintSat LEO Montana State 

University

Montana State 

University Development F

STACEM LEO Utah State University Utah State University Development F

* Supernova-Beta LEO Pumpkin, Inc. Pumpkin, Inc. Development F

8-Nov-15 Long March 4B Taiyuan Yaogan 28 SSO PLA SAST IMINT S S

10-Nov-15 \/ Ariane 5 ECA Guiana 

Space Center

* Arabsat-6B GEO Arabsat Airbus Communications

$178M S

S

GSAT-15 GEO ISRO ISRO Communications S

17-Nov-15 Soyuz 2.1b Plesetsk Cosmos 2510 

(Tundra) ELI Russian Ministry of Defense RKK Energia Early Warning S S

20-Nov-15 Long March 

3B/E Xichang LaoSat-1 GEO

Laos National 

Authority for Science 

and Technology

CAST Communications S S
Appendix 3: 2015 Orbital Launch Manifest

69

\/ Denotes commercial launch, defined as a launch that is internationally competed or FAA-licensed, or privately financed launch activity. For multiple manifested 

 launches, certain secondary payloads whose launches were commercially procured may also constitute a commercial launch.

+ Denotes FAA-licensed launch.

* Denotes a commercial payload, defined as a spacecraft that serves a commercial function or is operated by a commercial entity.

L and M refer to the outcome of the Launch and Mission: S=Success, P=Partial Success, F=Failure.

Notes: All prices are estimates.

All launch dates are based on local time at the launch site.

 Date Vehicle Site Payload(s) Orbit Operator Manufacturer Use

Comm'l 

Price L M

24-Nov-15 \/ H-IIA 204 Tanegashima Telstar-12V GEO Telesat Airbus Communications $113M S S

26-Nov-15 Long March 4C Taiyuan Yaogan-29 SSO PLA SAST IMINT S S

3-Dec-15 Vega Guiana 

Space Center LISA Pathfinder EXT ESA/NASA Airbus Scientific S S

5-Dec-15 Soyuz 2.1v Plesetsk

Cosmos 2511 

(Kanopus-ST) SSO Russian Ministry of Defense VNIIEM Corporation IMINT

S

F

Cosmos 2512 

(KYuA-1) SSO Russian Ministry of Defense Almaz-Antey Other S

6-Dec-15 \/ + Atlas V 401 CCAFS * OA-4 LEO Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Cargo $110M S S

9-Dec-15 Long March 

3B/E Xichang Chinasat-1C GEO PLA CAST Communications S S

11-Dec-15 Zenit 3F Baikonur Elektro-L No. 2 GEO Roscosmos NPO Lavotchkin Meteorology S S

13-Dec-15 Proton M Baikonur Cosmos 2513 

(Garpun No. 12L) GEO Russian Ministry of Defense ISS Reshetnev Communications S S

15-Dec-15 Soyuz Baikonur Soyuz TMA-19M LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Crew S S

16-Dec-15 \/ PSLV CA Satish 

Dhawan

* TeLEOS-1 LEO AgilSpace AgilSpace Remote Sensing

$33M S

S

Athenoxat-1 LEO

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Remote Sensing S

Galassia LEO National University of 

Singapore

National University of 

Singapore Scientific S

Kent Ridge-1 LEO National University of 

Singapore

National University of 

Singapore Remote Sensing S

VELOX-C1 LEO

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Scientific S

VELOX-2 LEO

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Nanyang 

Technological 

University

Development S

17-Dec-15 Long March 2D Jiuquan DAMPE SSO Chinese Academy of 

Sciences

Chinese Academy of 

Sciences Scientific S S

17-Dec-15 Soyuz 2.1b Guiana 

Space Center

Galileo FOC 8 

(Andriana) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation

S

S

Galileo FOC 9 

(Liene) MEO SpaceOpal OHB System Navigation S

21-Dec-15 Soyuz 2.1a Baikonur Progress MS-1 LEO Roscosmos RKK Energia Cargo S S

22-Dec-15 \/ + Falcon 9 FT CCAFS

* ORBCOMM-2 F2 LEO ORBCOMM Sierra Nevada Corp. 

(SNC) Communications

$61.2M S

S

* ORBCOMM-2 F5 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F8 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F10 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F12 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F13 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F14 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F15 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F16 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F17 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

* ORBCOMM-2 F18 LEO ORBCOMM SNC Communications S

24-Dec-15 Proton M Baikonur Express-AMU1 GEO RSCC ISS Reshetnev Communications S S

28-Dec-15 Long March 

3B/E Xichang Gaofen-4 GEO CNSA CAST Remote Sensing S S
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

ALASA is designed to be a significantly 

less expensive approach for routinely 

launching small satellites. DARPA 

plans at least a threefold reduction 

in launch costs compared to current 

military and US commercial launch 

vehicles. DARPA seeks a system that 

can launch 45-kilogram (100-pound) 

payloads to LEO for less than $1M, 

including range support costs. To 

achieve this goal, the ALASA program 

is employing new technologies to 

provide increased specific impulse 

propellants, stable propellant 

formulations, hybrid propellant 

systems, potential “infrastructure 

free” cryogen production, new motor 

case materials, new flight controls 

and mission planning techniques, 

new nozzle designs, improved thrust 

vectoring methods, and new throttling 

approaches. 

ALASA is designed for launch from 

an aircraft to improve performance, 

reduce range costs and enable 

more frequent missions, all of 

which combine to reduce cost. The 

baseline aircraft for the program is 

an F-15E Strike Eagle. The ability 

to relocate and launch quickly from 

virtually any major runway around 

the world substantially reduces the 

time needed to launch a mission. 

Launching from an aircraft also 

maximizes the number of potential 

orbits, as there are no major concerns 

for launch direction limits imposed 

by geography at fixed-base launch 

facilities.

A pathfinder program called the Small 

Air Launch Vehicle to Orbit (SALVO) 

is already underway. SALVO, built by 

Ventions under the ALASA program, 

Launch service provider

DARPA

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Boeing

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

45 (100)

Mass, kg (lb)

36,786 (81,100)

Length, m (ft)

19.4 (63.8)

Wingspan, m (ft)

13 (42.8)

Year of Planned First Launch

TBD

Launch sites

Various

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Airborne Launch Assist

Space Access (ALASA)

Estimated Price per Launch

$1M

is designed to test technologies 

expected to be used for ALASA. 

The nitrous oxide and acetylene 

propellant mix was selecred 

because it is very powerful, but 

difficult to handle safely. As a result 

of two ground accidents relating to 

propellant handling, launches of 

ALASA have been delayed from an 

expected introduction in 2016.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation F-15E 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 19.4 (63.8) 3.7 (12.1) est, tank only 1.8 (5.9) est, tank only

Diameter/Wingspan, m (ft) 13 (42.8) 0.6 (2) est 0.6 (2) est

Manufacturer Boeing Boeing Boeing

Propellant Kerosene (JP-4) N2O/Acetylene (NA-7) N2O/Acetylene (NA-7)

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) 16,125 (35,550) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) 258 (58,000) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Engine(s) 2 x F100-PW-220/229 4 x TBD 4 x TBD

Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Boeing Boeing

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

129

(29,000) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 0.6 (2) est 0.6 (2) est

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Airborne Launch Assist

Space Access (ALASA)

An F-15E is expected 

to be used to launch 

ALASA

The same aircraft type 

was reportedly used to 

launch SALVO in 2015
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

U.S.-based Firefly Space Systems was 

founded in 2014 to provide launch services 

catering to operators of microsatellites.

The company offers the Alpha launch 

vehicle, the first vehicle since Lockheed 

Martin’s X-33 and VentureStar to feature 

an aerospike engine. If successful, it will 

be the first operational vehicle to employ 

an aerospike engine. A conventional rocket 

engine uses a nozzle to direct exhaust in 

one direction, maximing the output pressure 

needed to impart thrust (left diagram). An 

aerospike differs by directing the exhaust 

along two paths that exit at the base of a linear 

spike and merge at the tip (right diagram). 

The spike serves as one edge of a “virtual 

nozzle” while the ambient air pressure (solid 

blue arrows) serves as the other edge. This 

means an aerospike engine is lighter, more 

aerodynamic, and more efficient through 

all altitudes, particularly at lower altitudes 

where the air is denser. An aerospike is 30% 

more efficient than a nozzle at sea level. 

The Alpha is expected to launch for the first 

time in 2017 from LC-39C.

Firefly was selected in 2015 by NASA to 

conduct a demonstration CubeSat launch 

by March 2018. The Venture Class Launch 

Services (VCLS) contract to Firefly is valued 

at $5.5M.

Launch service provider

Firefly Space Systems

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Firefly Space Systems

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

400 (882)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

200 (441)

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

23.6 (77.3)

Diameter, m (ft)

1.5 (4.8)

Year of Planned First Launch

2017

Launch site

KSC (LC-39C)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Alpha 1.0

Estimated Price per Launch

$8M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 16.7 (54.8) 4.6 (15)

Diameter, m (ft) 2 (6.6) 1.5 (4.8)

Manufacturer Firefly Space Systems Firefly Space Systems

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

443

(99,600)

27.6

(6,200)

Engine(s) 1 x FRE-2 1 x FRE-1

Engine manufacturer Firefly Space Systems Firefly Space Systems

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

443

(99,600)

27.6

(6,200)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 1.8 (5.8) 1.5 (4.8)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Alpha 1.0

A 3D diagram 

of the FRE-2 

aerospike engine 

that will be used 

to power the 

Alpha’s first stage. 

Source: Firefly 

Space Systems.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

In 2013, Orbital Sciences Corporation (now 

Orbital ATK) began offering its Antares, 

a two-stage vehicle designed to launch 

government and commercial satellites 

to low Earth orbit (LEO), Cygnus cargo 

modules to the International Space Station 

(ISS), and missions requiring Earth escape 

trajectories. The Antares is also available 

under the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II 

contract for future science missions. 

The Antares is the first cryogenically fueled 

vehicle produced by Orbital ATK. The first 

version of the vehicle family, the Antares 

100 series powered by AJ26 engines, has 

been discontinued in favor of the Antares 

200 series powered by RD-181 engines. 

The Antares 200 series consists of a first 

stage produced by Ukrainian Yuzhnoye 

Design Office (Yuzhnoye) powered by twin 

NPO Energomash RD-181 engines, each 

of which produces about 400 kN more 

thrust than a single AJ26. A customer can 

select from two different second stages, 

the Castor-30B or the Castor-30XL. Orbital 

ATK also offers an optional Bi-Propellant 

Third Stage (BTS) for high-energy 

performance needs. The vehicle is topped 

off with a payload adapter and a 4-meter 

(13-foot) diameter fairing. In 2008, NASA 

selected the Antares (originally named 

Taurus II) to receive funding under the 

COTS program. NASA ultimately selected 

Orbital and its competitor SpaceX to 

provide cargo transportation to the ISS 

under a CRS contract. 

The fifth launch of Antares, which took 

place in October 2014, ended in a launch 

failure. Following the accident, Orbital 

ATK preceded with development of the 

200 series, which is schedule to fly for the 

first time in 2016.

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,500-7,000 (7,716-15,432)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

2,100-3,400 (4,630-7,496)

Mass, kg (lb)

530,000 (1,168,450)

Length, m (ft)

40.5 (132.9)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.9 (12.8)

Year of First Launch

2013

Number of Launches

5

Reliability

80%

Launch site

MARS (Pad 0-A)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Antares

Estimated Price per Launch

$80M-$85M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage Option 3rd Stage Option

Stage designation N/A Castor-30B/30XL STAR-48V Bi-Propellant Third 

Stage (BTS)

Length, m (ft) 25

(82)

30B: 4.17 (13.7)

30XL: 5.99 (19.7)

2

(6.6)

1.8

(5.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.9

(12.8)

2.34

(7.7)

1.2

(3.9)

1.7

(5.6)

Manufacturer KB Yuzhnoye Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant LOX/Kerosene Solid Solid N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

240,000

(529,109)

30B: 12,887 

(28,411)

30XL: 24,196 

(53,343)

2,010 (4,431) --

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,648

(820,000)

396.3

(89,092)

77.8

(17,490) --

Engine(s) 2 x RD-181 -- -- --

Engine manufacturer NPO Energomash -- -- Orbital ATK

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,824

(410,000)

396.3

(89,092)

77.8

(17.490) --

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 9.9 (32.5) 3.9 (12.8)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Antares

Antares

220

Antares

221

Antares

231

Antares

232

Antares

222

Antares

230

The Antares family consists of six variants. The first stage, which is common to all six 

variants, can be outfitted with either a Castor 30B or Castor 30XL solid motor upper stage. 

The vehicle can have no third stage, or an option between a Bi-Propellant Third Stage 

(BTS) or a STAR 48. The same fairing is used for all six versions. 
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Ariane 5, technically the Ariane 

5 ECA, is the workhorse of Francebased Arianespace, a European 

launch consortium. The Ariane 5 

consists of a liquid-fueled core 

stage powered by a single Vulcain 2 

engine, two strap-on solid boosters, 

a cryogenic upper stage powered by 

an HM7B engine, a payload adapter 

that can accommodate two satellites 

(called SYLDA), and a payload 

fairing. The Ariane 5 ECA is optimized 

for launches of two geosynchronous 

communications satellites. 

The Ariane 5 ES version with a storable 

propellant upper stage engine 

was used to launch the Automated 

Launch service provider

Arianespace

Organization Headquarters

France

Manufacturer

Airbus Safran Launchers

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

9,500 (20,944)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

21,000 (46,297)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

10,000 (22,046)

Mass, kg (lb)

780,000 (1,719,606)

Length, m (ft)

54.8 (179.8)

Diameter, m (ft)

5.4 (17.7) 

Year of First Launch

2002 (ECA version)

Number of Launches

83

Reliability

98%

Launch site

Guiana Space Center (ELA-3)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Ariane 5 ECA

Estimated Price per Launch

$178M

Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to the 

International Space Station 

(ISS) and very large satellites 

like Envisat. This vehicle will 

also be used for some launches 

of the Galileo global navigation 

satellite system. 

Arianespace oversees the 

procurement, quality control, 

launch operations, and 

marketing of the Ariane 5. 

A new joint venture, called 

Airbus Safran Launchers and 

established in late 2014, is the 

prime contractor for Ariane 5 

manufacturing. The Ariane 5 

has launched 83 times since 

its introduction in 1996, with 69 

consecutive successes since 

2003. The Ariane 5 ECA variant 

has flown 53 times.

In December 2014, the 

European Space Agency (ESA) 

authorized development of the 

Ariane 6 vehicle as an eventual 

replacement for the Ariane 5. The 

new vehicle will be offered in two 

variants beginning in 2020. The 

Ariane 5 ECA will be phased out 

by 2023.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Ariane 5 ECA

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 17 (55.8) 5.4 (17.7)

SRB* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation EAP EPC ESC-A

Length, m (ft) 31.6 (103.7) 30.5 (100.1) 4.7 (15.4)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.1 (10.2) 5.4 (17.7) 5.4 (17.7)

Manufacturer Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers

Propellant Solid LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

240,000

(529,109)

170,000

(374,786)

14,900

(32,849)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

7,080

(1,591,647)

960

(215,817)

67

(15,062)

Engine(s) -- 1 x Vulcain 2 1 x HM-7B

Engine manufacturer -- Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- 960(215,817)

67

(15,062)

An Ariane 5 ECA launches from the Guiana Space Center on August 20, 2015 carrying 

Eutelsat 8 West B and Intelsat 34. Source: Arianespace.

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Ariane 6 family currently under 

development is expected to replace 

the Ariane 5 ECA by 2023. The 

family will be composed of two 

variants, the Ariane 62 and the 

Ariane 64, with the main differentiator 

being the use of two or four solid 

boosters, respectively. The vehicle 

will be manufactured by a newly 

established consortium called Aribus 

Safran Launchers (ASL). ASL was 

formed to streamline launch vehicle 

manufacturing and reduce costs. 

The maximum throughput planned 

is 12 Ariane 6 launches per year, an 

operational tempo also expected to 

reduce launch costs.

The Ariane 62 will primarily be used for 

single launches to geosynchronous 

transfer orbit (GTO) and for some 

payloads destined for deep space 

exploration. The Ariane 64 will 

primarily be used for dual-manifested 

payloads to GTO. Small and medium 

payloads destined for low Earth 

orbit (LEO) or Sun-synchronous 

orbits (SSO) will be handled using 

the Soyuz 2 or Vega vehicles also 

offered by Arianespace.

The decision to move forward on the 

Ariane 6 was made in December 

2014. In August 2015, the European 

Space Agency (ESA) signed 

contracts for the development of the 

Ariane 6, its launch infrastructure, 

and a new variant of the Vega called 

Vega C. The Vega C is a related 

development program because the 

first stage of that vehicle, the P120C, 

will serve as the solid booster for 

Ariane 6. 

Launch service provider

Arianespace

Organization Headquarters

France

Manufacturer

Airbus Safran Launchers

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

5,000-11,000 (11,023-24,251)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

10,000-21,000 (22,046-46,297)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Mass, kg (lb)

800,000 (1,763,698)

Length, m (ft)

70 (230)

Diameter, m (ft)

4.6 (15.1)

Year of Planned First Launch

2020

Launch site

Guiana Space Center (ELA-3)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Ariane 6

Estimated Price per Launch

$94M-$117M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Ariane 6

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 15 (49) est 5 (16.4) est

SRB* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation P120C 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 11.5 (37.7) 40 (131) est 15 (49) est

Diameter, m (ft) 3.3 (10.8) 4.6 (15.1) 4.6 (15.1)

Manufacturer Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers

Propellant Solid LOX/H2 LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

120,000

(264,555)

149,000

(328,489)

30,000

(66,139)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,500

(786,831)

350

(78,683)

180

(40,466)

Engine(s) -- 1 x Vulcain 2.1 1 x Vinci

Engine manufacturer -- Airbus Safran Launchers Airbus Safran Launchers

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- 350(78,683)

180

(40,466)

Two variants of the Ariane 6 

will be available. The Ariane 

62 will primarily be used for 

singular missions to GTO, 

whereas the Ariane 64 will 

be used for dual-manifested 

payloads to GTO. 

Ariane 62 Ariane 64

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Atlas V family is a product of the U.S. Air 

Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle 

Program (EELV), begun in 1995. Lockheed 

Martin originally developed the Atlas V, 

but manufacturing and operations are now 

conducted by United Launch Alliance (ULA), 

a joint company between Lockheed Martin 

and Boeing. ULA markets the vehicle to 

the U.S. Government and Lockheed Martin 

Commercial Launch Services markets to 

commercial clients worldwide. In 2010, 

ULA began the process of certifying Atlas 

V for human missions, to launch NASA 

astronauts to low Earth orbit (LEO). ULA 

has an agreement to launch Boeing’s CST100 Starliner, a crewed vehicle designed to 

service the International Space Station (ISS).

Atlas V consists of the Common Core Booster 

(CCB) powered by a Russian RD-180 engine, 

a combination of up to five solid rocket 

boosters, a Centaur upper stage powered by 

either one or two Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne 

(PWR) RL10A-4-2 engines, a payload adapter, 

and a payload fairing. The vehicle variants are 

described in two groups: Atlas V 400 series 

and Atlas V 500 series. The first number of the 

three-digit designator indicates the diameter 

of the fairing in meters, the second number 

indicates the number of Aerojet solid rocket 

boosters used (zero to five), and the third 

number indicates the number of RL10A-4-2 

engines employed by the Centaur upper stage 

(one or two). 

The Atlas V family debuted in 2002 with the 

successful launch of an Atlas V 401 from Cape 

Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) and can 

launch payloads to any desired orbit. It will be 

replaced with ULA’s Vulcan family beginning 

in 2019, with full replacement expected shortly 

after 2023.

In 2015, ULA selected Orbital ATK is the 

provider of solid motors for the Atlas V, replacing 

the AJ-60A motors. First flight of an Atlas V with 

the new GEM-63 motors is expected in 2018.

Launch service provider

ULA/LMCLS

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

ULA

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

3,460-8,900 (7,620-19,620)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

8,123-18,814 (17,908-41,478)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

6,424-15,179 (14,163-33,464)

Mass, kg (lb)

401: 333,731 (734,208)

551: 568,878 (1,251,532) 

Length, m (ft)

60.6-75.5 (198.7-247.5)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.8 (12.5)

Year of First Launch

2002

Number of Launches

59

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-40)

VAFB (SLC-3E)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Atlas V

Estimated Price per Launch

$110M-$230M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Atlas V

Atlas V

401/402

411/412

Atlas V

421/431

Atlas V

541/542

Atlas V

551/552

Atlas V

501/502

511/512

Atlas V

521/522

531/532

1st Stage SRB* 2nd Stage Option 2nd Stage Option

Stage designation Common Core 

Booster AJ-60A Single Engine Centaur Dual Engine Centaur

Length, m (ft) 32.5 (106.6) 20 (65.6) 12.7 (41.7) 12.7 (41.7)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.8 (12.5) 1.6 (5.2) 3.1 (10.2) 3.1 (10.2)

Manufacturer ULA Aerojet Rocketdyne ULA ULA

Propellant LOX/Kerosene Solid LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

284,089

(626,309)

46,697

(102,949)

20,830

(45,922)

20,830

(45,922)

Total thrust, kN (lbf) 3,827 (860,309) 1,688 (379,550) 99.2 (22,300) 198.4 (44,600)

Engine(s) 1 x RD-180 -- 1 x RL10A-4-2 2 x RL10A-4-2

Engine manufacturer RD AMROSS -- Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,827

(860,309)

1,688

(379,550)

99.2

(22,300)

99.2

(22,300)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

4m Large Payload Fairing 12 (39.3) 4 (13)

4m Extended Payload Fairing 12.9 (42.3) 4 (13)

4m Extra Extended Payload Fairing 13.8 (45.3) 4 (13)

5m Large Payload Fairing 20.7 (68) 5 (16.4)

5m Extended Payload Fairing 23.5 (77) 5 (16.4)

5m Extra Extended Payload Fairing 26.5 (87) 5 (16.4)

The Atlas V family consists of 18 variants, though only nine variants have flown to date. The 

Atlas V variants are defined by the number of solid rocket boosters attached to the CCB 

(between zero and 5), the type of Centaur upper stage employed (either a single or dual 

engine), and the type of fairing (4-meter or 5-meter diameter). 

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

In the summer of 2015, Blue Origin publicly 

announced its plan to develop an orbital 

launch vehicle. Details regarding the 

vehicle’s design remain close-hold, but a 

some information is known. 

The launch vehicle, which has yet to be 

named, will launch from SLC-36 located at 

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), 

Florida. The reusable first stage will be 

powered by the company’s BE-4 engine, 

the same engine being developed for 

the first stage of the Vulcan, which will be 

provided by United Launch Alliance (ULA) 

beginning in 2019. This stage also appears 

to feature four extendable landing struts. The 

expendable second stage will be powered 

by the BE-3, a smaller engine that will also 

be used to power Blue Origin’s reusable 

New Shepard crewed suborbital vehicle. 

The BE-4, which will be flight ready by 

2017, is fed a LOX-liquified natural gas 

(LNG) mix. The LNG, essentially methane, 

is considered by Blue Origin and ULA to 

be a an affordable and efficient propellant 

on par with rocket grade kerosene (RP-1). 

The key difference is that LNG is a cleaner 

burning fuel, ideal for a reueable engine.

SLC-36 was once used by NASA to launch 

Mariner, Surveyor, and Pioneer probes 

during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as 

national security payloads for the Department 

of Defense (DoD). The last mission from this 

pad took place in 2005 with the launch of an 

Atlas III. Blue Origin is leasing the pad from 

Space Florida and is currently developing 

the facility in preparation for an inaugural 

launch around 2020.

Launch service provider

Blue Origin

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Blue Origin

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

46.9 (154) est

Diameter, m (ft)

3 (10) est

Year of Planned First Launch

2020

Launch site

CCAFS (SLC-36)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Blue Origin Vehicle

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 36.6 (120) est 7.3 (24) est

Diameter, m (ft) 3 (10) est 2.4 (8) est

Manufacturer Blue Origin Blue Origin

Propellant LOX/CH4 LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Engine(s) 1 x BE-4 1 x BE-3

Engine manufacturer Blue Origin Blue Origin

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,447

(550,000)

489

(110,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 3 (10) est 2.4 (8) est

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Blue Origin Vehicle

Blue Origin CEO 

Jeff Bezos reveals 

the company’s 

new orbital launch 

vehicle at Cape 

Canaveral Air 

Force Station 

(CCAFS), Florida, 

in 2015. Source: 

Blue Origin
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

CubeCab is a U.S.-based 

company seeking to provide 

dedicated launches for operators 

of CubeSats. The relatively small 

vehicle will be launched from 

an F-104 Starfighter offered by 

Starfighters Aerospace that will 

take off from NASA’s Shuttle 

Landing Facility at Kennedy 

Space Center (KSC) in Florida. 

The CubeCab vehicle will be 

attached below the wing of the 

F-104 in a similar manner to an 

air-to-air missile. 

CubeCab believes that the even 

though it is technically less 

efficient to launch small payloads 

on small launch vehicles, the cost 

is actually less than experienced 

when arranging for a rideshare as 

a piggyback payload. An example 

of a cost-saving benefit is trimming 

the launch scheduling time from 

1-2 years to just a few months.

The company expects to launch 

about 100 times per year, further 

increasing efficiencies. Though 

the number of 1U and 3U 

CubeSats launched per year first 

exceeded 100 in 2014, CubeCab 

believes this market will grow 

beyond that number per year. 

CubeCab is targeting $250,000 

for a 3U CubeSat launch, or 

$100,000 for a 1U CubeSat.

Launch service provider

CubeCab

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

CubeCab

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

5 (11)

Mass, kg (lb)

13,000 (28,660) est

Length, m (ft)

16.8 (55)

Wingspan, m (ft)

6.6 (21.8)

Year of Planned First Launch

2017

Launch site

KSC (Runway)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Cab-3A

Estimated Price per Launch

$250,000
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation F-104 CubeCab

Length, m (ft) 16.8 (55) 5.3 (17.4) est

Diameter/Wingspan, m (ft) 6.6 (21.8) 0.5 (1.7) est

Manufacturer Lockheed CubeCab

Propellant Kerosene (JP-4) Undisclosed

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

8,727

(19,240) Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

79.3

(17,835) Undisclosed

Engine(s) 1 x J79-GE-11A Undisclosed

Engine manufacturer General Electric CubeCab

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

79.3

(17,835) Undisclosed

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 0.5 (1.7) est 0.5 (1.7) est

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Cab-3A

An F-104 operated 

by Starfighters is the 

baseline vehicle for 

Cab-3A
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Delta IV family is a product of the U.S. 

Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch 

Vehicle Program (EELV), begun in 1995. 

Boeing originally developed the Delta IV, 

but manufacturing and operations are 

now conducted by United Launch Alliance 

(ULA), a joint company between Lockheed 

Martin and Boeing. ULA markets the vehicle 

to the U.S. Government, though Boeing can 

make the Delta IV available to commercial 

customers worldwide. 

The Delta IV is composed of a Common 

Booster Core (CBC) powered by an Aerojet 

Rocketdyne RS-68A main engine, one 

of two different types of cryogenic upper 

stages (varying in propellant tank volume 

and diameter) powered by a single Aerojet 

Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine, a payload 

adapter, and a choice between three fairings. 

The vehicle may also feature between two 

and four Orbital ATK GEM-60 motors. The 

Delta IV is available in five variants. 

The Delta IV family debuted in 2002 with the 

successful launch of a Delta IV Medium+ 

(4,2) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

(CCAFS).

With the exception of the Delta IV Heavy, 

the Delta IV has been slated for retirement 

in 2018 as ULA prepares to introduce the 

Vulcan launch vehicle family in 2019. The 

Delta IV Heavy will continue to fly until the 

Vulcan’s Centaur upper stage is replaced 

with the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage 

(ACES), boosting the Vulcan’s payload 

capacity dramatically, effectively making the 

Delta IV Heavy obsolete. The Delta IV Heavy 

is expected to be retired by 2023.

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Delta IV

Launch service provider

ULA

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

ULA

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

3,060-14,220 (6,746-31,350)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

9,420-28,790 (20,768-63,471)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

7,690-23,560 (16,954-51,941)

Mass, kg (lb)

D-IVM: 249,500 (549,559)

D-IVH: 733,000 (1,615,416)) 

Length, m (ft)

62.8-71.6 (206-234.9)

Diameter, m (ft)

5 (16.4)

Year of First Launch

2002

Number of Launches

30

Reliability*

100%

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-40)

VAFB (SLC-3E)

Estimated Price per Launch

$164M-$400M

* The December 21, 2004 partial launch 

success of a Delta IV Heavy is counted 

as a success in this reliability calculation
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Delta IV

1st Stage* SRB** 2nd Stage Option 2nd Stage Option

Stage designation Common Booster 

Core GEM-60 4-Meter Cryogenic Upper Stage

5-Meter Cryogenic 

Upper Stage

Length, m (ft) 46.7 (153.2) 15. 8 (52) 10.4 (34) 12.2 (40)

Diameter, m (ft) 5 (16.4) 1.6 (5.3) 4 (13.1) 5 (16.4)

Manufacturer ULA Orbital ATK ULA ULA

Propellant LOX/LH2 Solid LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

199,640

(439,735)

59,520

(130,944)

20,410

(45,000)

27,200

(60,000)

Total thrust, kN (lbf) 2,891 (650,000) 1,245.5 (280,000) 110 (24,750) 110 (24,750)

Engine(s) 1 x RS-68A -- 1 x RL10B-2 1 x RL10B-2

Engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne -- Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,891

(650,000)

1,245.5

(280,000)

110

(24,750)

110

(24,750)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

11.7-Meter Fairing 11.7 (38.5) 4 (13)

14.3-Meter Fairing 14.3 (47) 5 (16.4)

19.1-Meter Fairing 19.1 (62.7) 5 (16.4)

Metallic Fairing 19.8 (65) 5 (16.4)

Delta IV 

Medium

Delta IV 

Medium+(4,2)

Delta IV 

Medium+(5,2)

Delta IV 

Medium+(5,4)

Delta IV 

Heavy

The Delta IV family consists of five variants. The Delta IV Medium features a CBC and a 

4-meter fairing, but no solid motors. Three versions of the Delta IV Medium+ are available, 

using either a 4-meter or 5-meter fairing, and a combination of solid motors. Finally, the 

Delta IV Heavy is composed of three CBCs and a 5-meter fairing. 

* Delta IV Heavy uses 3 CBC units

** Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Dnepr, introduced in 1999, is 

developed from surplus Soviet R-36 (SS-18) 

intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). 

About 150 missiles were made available 

for conversion into launch vehicles. The 

missiles, with components built during the 

Soviet era, are refurbished by PA Yuzhmash 

located in Ukraine. The three-stage, liquid 

fueled vehicle is designed to address 

medium-class payloads or clusters of smalland micro-class satellites. It is marketed by 

the Russian-based company ISC Kosmotras.

The Dnepr has launched 21 times, with one 

failure. The Dnepr is launched from Pad 109 

and Pad 95 at the Baikonur Kosmodrome in 

Kazakhstan and the Dombarovsky missile 

base in Western Russia.

Due to increasing political tensions between 

Russia and Ukraine during 2014, and the 

resulting international sanctions against 

Russia, PA Yushmash, a key supplier of 

missiles and other hardware to the Russian 

military, has experienced considerable 

financial difficulties that may impact its 

product line. Despite this, ISC Kosmotras has 

reassured existing and potential customers 

that the Dnepr will be available.

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Dnepr

Launch service provider

ISC Kosmotras

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

PA Yuzhmash

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,200 (7,055)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

2,300 (5,071)

Mass, kg (lb)

201,000 (462,971)

Length, m (ft)

34.3 (112.5)

Diameter, m (ft)

3 (9.8)

Year of First Launch

1999

Number of Launches

22

Reliability

95%

Launch sites

Baikonur (LC-109, LC-95)

Dombarovsky (LC-13)

Estimated Price per Launch

$29M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Dnepr

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 22 (72.2) 6 (19.7) 1.5 (4.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3 (9.8) 3 (9.8) 3 (9.8)

Manufacturer PA Yuzhmash PA Yuzhmash PA Yuzhmash

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

147,900

(326,064)

36,740

(80,998)

1,910

(4,211)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

4,520

(1,016,136)

755

(169,731)

18.6

(4,181)

Engine(s) 4 x RD-264 1 x RD-0255 1 x RD-869

Engine manufacturer OKB-456 

(NPO Energomash)

OKB-154

(KB Khimavtomatika)

OKB-586

(Yuzhnoye)

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,130

(254,034)

755

(169,731)

18.6

(4,181)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Sandard Fairing 5.3 (17.4) 3 (9.8)

Extended Fairing 6.1 (20) 3 (9.8)

Satellites integrated on the Dnepr vehicle prior to launch in June 2004 (Source: GAUSS)
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Founded in New Zealand in 2007 by 

entrepreneur Peter Beck, Rocket Lab is now 

headquartered in the United States with a 

subsidiary in New Zealand. 

Rocket Lab aims to provide its Electron vehicle 

to tap the microsatellite market, offering rapid 

scheduling and dedicated launch services 

to operators that have historically been 

dependent on piggyback rides with primary 

payloads. These piggyback rides mean the 

microsatellite operator does not have much 

say in scheduling or orbital trajectory. 

The two-stage Electron features a simple 

construction using low-mass composite 

materials capable of handling cryogeni liquids 

like liquid oxygen (LOX). In addition, the 

company’s Rutherford engine is designed to 

be produced quickly, as ten total engines are 

used for each Electron and Rocket Labs plans 

to launch the vehicle frequently. To enable 

this, and to keep costs down, all primary 

components of the Rutherford are produced 

using additive manufacturing, commonly 

refered to as 3D printing. 

The Electron will be marketed primarilly for 

customers whose satellites are pound for Sunsynchronous orbits (SSO). 

In 2015, Rocket Lab was awarded a NASA 

Venture Class Launch Services contract. The 

$6.95M ontract is for the launch of a NASA 

payload to low-Earth orbit (LEO) between 

2016 and 2017. Moon Express announced in 

2015 that it will purchase three Rocket Lab 

launches for its lunar lander spacecraft as part 

of the former’s bid to win the Google Lunar X 

Prize competition. Rocket Lab has indicated it 

has other customers in the queue, but has not 

released their names publicly. Also in 2015, 

Rocket Lab announced it selected Alaska 

Aerospace Corporation to provide range 

safety support for their upcoming Electron 

launches in 2016 from the Pacific Spaceport 

Complex – Alaska (PSCA).

Launch service provider

Rocket Lab

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Rocket Lab

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

150 (331)

Mass, kg (lb)

10,500 (23,149)

Length, m (ft)

16 (52.5)

Diameter, m (ft)

1.2 (3.9)

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

PSCA

Kaitorete (New Zealand) 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Electron

Estimated Price per Launch

$4.9M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 12.8 (42) est 1.6 (5.2) est

Diameter, m (ft) 1.2 (3.9) 1.2 (3.9)

Manufacturer Rocket Lab Rocket Lab

Propellant LOX/kerosene LOX/kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

6,900

(15,212) est

2,300

(5,071) est

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

183

(41,500)

22

(5,000)

Engine(s) 9 x Rutherford 1 x Rutherford Vacuum

Engine manufacturer Rocket Lab Rocket Lab

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

22

(5,000)

22

(5,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 2 (6.6) est 1.2 (3.9)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Electron

Rocket Lab’s 

Rutherford engine. 

All its primary 

components 

are produced 

using additive 

manufacturing, 

or 3D printing. 

Source: Rocket 

Lab

Rocket Lab’s launch price for a 

1U CubeSat is $50,000. For a 

3U, it is $180,000.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Epsilon is a vehicle under 

development by the Japan Aerospace 

Exploration Agency (JAXA), derived 

from the Nissan-built M-V discontinued 

in 2006. The vehicle will be used to send 

small payloads to low Earth orbits and 

polar orbits. The first launch of Epsilon 

took place during 2013, successfully 

placing a small payload into low Earth 

orbit (LEO).

The Epsilon comes in both a Standard 

Configuration and an Optional 

Configuration. The first stage of the 

Standard Configuration Epsilon is a solid 

motor similar to those on the H-IIA. An M-34c 

solid motor constitutes the second stage, 

and a KM-2Vb represents the third stage. 

A payload adapter and fairing complete 

the system. The Optional Configuration 

features an additional compact Post Boost 

Stage integrated with the third stage for 

Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO).

The vehicle is launched from Uchinoura 

Space Center, formerly called Kagoshima 

Space Center. 

Launch service provider

JAXA

Organization Headquarters

Japan

Manufacturer

IHI

Mass, kg (lb)

90,800 (200,180)

Length, m (ft)

24.4 (80.1)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.5 (8.2)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Epsilon

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

700 -1,200 (1,543-2,646)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

450 (992)

Year of First Launch

2013

Number of Launches

1

Reliability

100%

Launch site

Uchinoura Space Center

Estimated Price per Launch

$39M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Epsilon

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation SRB-A3 M-34c KM-V2b Post Boost Stage

Length, m (ft) 15 (49.2) 5 (16.4) 3 (9.8) 0.5 (1.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.5 (8.2) 2.5 (8.2) 2.5 (8.2) 2 (6.6)

Manufacturer Nissan Nissan Nissan Nissan

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Hydrazine

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

66,000

(145,505)

10,800

(23,800)

2,500

(5,512)

100

(220)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,580

(355,198)

377.2

(84,798)

81.3

(18,277)

< 1

(225)

Engine(s) -- -- -- 3 units

Engine manufacturer -- -- -- Nissan

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,580

(355,198)

377.2

(84,798)

81.3

(18,277)

<0.33

(74)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 10 (32.8) 2.5 (8.2)

The Epsilon launch vehicle at the launch site just prior to its inaugural mission in 2013 

(Source: JAXA)
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), 

founded in 2002, first launched its Falcon 9 in 

2010 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

(CCAFS). The vehicle is designed to launch 

government and commercial payloads 

to any orbit. It is also used to transport the 

Dragon cargo module to the International 

Space Station (ISS), and in 2017 will begin 

transporting crewed versions of the Dragon. 

SpaceX will also provide Falcon 9 launches 

under the Air Force’s Orbital/Suborbital 

Program-3 (OSP-3).

The vehicle consists of a first stage powered 

by nine SpaceX Merlin-1D engines, a second 

stage powered by a single Merlin-1D Vacuum 

engine, a payload adapter, and a large 

payload fairing. Launches of the company’s 

Dragon capsule do not require a fairing. 

The first version of the Falcon 9 (v1.0) 

launched successfully five times since its 

introduction in 2010. The current upgraded 

version of the Falcon 9 (v1.1) was introduced 

in September 2013. Falcon 9 v1.1 features a 

longer first stage, new higher thrust engines 

(the Merlin-1D instead of the Merlin-1C), and 

an octagonal arrangement of engines on the 

first stage (instead of a “tic-tac-toe” pattern) to 

relieve loads on the vehicle during launch. The 

figures in this fact sheet reflect the upgraded 

Falcon 9. SpaceX introduced the Falcon 9 (Full 

Thrust) in 2015, featuring 20 percent greater 

capacity than the Falcon 9 v1.1. Falcon 9 FT 

will ultimately replace the earlier version.

The Falcon 9 v1.1 flew six times in 2015, with 

one failure in June. SpaceX resumed launch 

activity in December 2015, with introduction 

of the Falcon 9 FT. This vehicle performed 

well, successfully deploying 11 ORBCOMM 

satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO). In addition, 

the vehicle’s first stage landed vertically 10 

minutes following launch as planned, marking 

the first time in history such an event took 

place for a vehicle capable of orbital flight. 

Launch service provider

SpaceX

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

SpaceX

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

4,850 (10,692)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

13,150 (28,991)

Mass, kg (lb)

541,300 (1,194,000)

Length, m (ft)

70 (239)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.7 (12)

Year of First Launch

2010 (Falcon 9 family)

Number of Launches

20 (Falcon 9 family)

Reliability

95%

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-40)

VAFB (SLC-3E)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Falcon 9

Estimated Price per Launch

$61.2M

Unless otherwise noted, this 

fact sheet reflects data for the 

Falcon 9 FT, which debuted in 

December 2015.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 42.6 (139.8) 12.6 (41.3)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.7 (12) 3.7 (12)

Manufacturer SpaceX SpaceX

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

411,000

(906,010)

73,400

(161,819)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

5,885

(1,323,000)

801

(180,000)

Engine(s) 9 x Merlin-1D 1 x Merlin-1D

Engine manufacturer SpaceX SpaceX

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

653.8

(147,000)

801

(180,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 13.2 (43.3) 5.2 (17.1)

Falcon 9 v1.0

Retired (2010-2013)

Falcon 9 v1.1

Active (2013-2016)

Falcon 9 FT

Active (2015- )

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Falcon 9

The Falcon 9 v1.0 

was retired after 5 

successful flights

The Grasshopper, and 

later the Falcon 9R Dev 1, 

were used to test first stage 

reusability. SpaceX is building 

another test vehicle, the 

Falcon 9R Dev 2
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Space Exploration Technologies 

(SpaceX), founded in 2002, is 

developing the Falcon Heavy. 

This vehicle leverages the same 

components used to manufacture 

the Falcon 9.

The first stage of the Falcon 

Heavy essentially consists of 

three Falcon 9 first stages linked 

together with propellant crossfeed 

lines that allow the center center 

core to tap propellant from the 

side boosters. The core and 

boosters are each powered by 

nine Merlin-1D engines. Each 

booster is designed to be reused, 

and requires three separate 

landing pads. The second stage 

is similar to the one used for the 

Falcon 9.

The lift capacity of the Falcon 

Heavy is 53,000 kg (116,845 lb)

to low Earth orbit (LEO), making 

it the most powerful U.S.-built 

launch vehicle since the Saturn V. 

The first launch of the Falcon Heavy 

is scheduled to take place in 2016 

from Kennedy Space Center’s 

(KSC) LC-39A. The mission will be 

a test demonstration. Customers 

who have signed contracts for a 

Falcon Heavy flight include the 

Department of Defense, Arabsat, 

Intelsat, Inmarsat, and ViaSat.

SpaceX lists $90M for a launch of 

a payload at or below 6,400 kg 

(14,110 lb) to geosynchronous 

transfer orbit (GTO). With a GTO 

capacity of 21,200 kg, this means 

the vehicle will be able to send up 

to three payloads to this orbit.

Launch service provider

SpaceX

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

SpaceX

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

21,200 (46,738)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

53,000 (116,845)

Mass, kg (lb)

1,394,000 (3,075,000)

Length, m (ft)

70 (229.6)

Width, m (ft)

12.2 (39.9)

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

KSC (LC-39A)

VAFB (SLC-4E)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Falcon Heavy

Estimated Price per Launch

$270M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Liquid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation Boosters 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 42.6 (139.8) 42.6 (139.8) 12.6 (41.3)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.7 (12) 3.7 (12) 3.7 (12)

Manufacturer SpaceX SpaceX SpaceX

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

411,000

(906,010)

411,000

(906,010)

73,400

(161,819)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

5,885

(1,323,000)

5,885

(1,323,000)

801

(180,000)

Engine(s) 9 x Merlin-1D 9 x Merlin-1D 1 x Merlin-1D

Engine manufacturer SpaceX SpaceX SpaceX

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

653.8

(147,000)

653.8

(147,000)

801

(180,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 13.2 (43.3) 5.2 (17.1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Falcon Heavy

An artist’s rendering of the 

Falcon Heavy at KSC’s LC-39A. 

Source: SpaceX

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

U.S.-based Generation Orbit Launch 

Services was founded in 2011 to provide 

dedicated orbital launch services to 

microsatellite operators. The company, 

which is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based 

SpaceWorks Engineering, forecasts 

significant grwoth in microsatellites per 

year. Generation Orbit aims to tap this 

rapidly growing market by offering lowcost, rapid launch cycles.

The GOLauncher system features 

an air-launched approach. The first 

stage consists of a Gulfstream III 

aircraft capable of launching the 

suborbital GOLauncher-1 or the orbital 

GOLauncher-2 from a fuselage mount.

The two-stage GOLauncher-2 is 

designed to send 45 kg (100 lb) to 

low Earth orbit (LEO). The vehicle 

can accommodate three payload 

configurations: A single microsatellite of 

up to 45 kg, a cluster of nanosatellites, 

or a dedicated CubeSat mission. 

Because the vehicle is air-launched, a 

wide range of orbital options exist, with 

inclinations of 0° to 90°.

In 2015, Generation Orbit was awarded 

a Phase II Small Business Innovative 

Research (SBIR) contract from the 

Air Force Research Laboratory 

(AFRL) for continued development 

of GOLauncher-1. Though this work 

focuses on the suborbital launch 

vehicle, it is expected lessons learned 

will be applied to the company’s orbital 

capability.

As of the end of 2015, few details 

regarding the technical specifications 

of the GOLauncher-2 are publicly 

available.

Launch service provider

Generation orbit

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Generation orbit

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

45.4 (100)

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

25.3 (83)

Wingspan, m (ft)

23.7 (77.8)

Year of Planned First Launch

2017

Launch site

Cecil Field Spaceport

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

GOLauncher-2

Estimated Price per Launch

$2.5M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation Gulfstream III 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 25.3 (83) 5.9 (19.5) est 1 (3.3) est

Diameter/Wingspan, m (ft) 23.7 (77.8) 0.8 (2.7) est 0.8 (2.7) est

Manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Generation Orbit Generation Orbit

Propellant Kerosene (Jet-A1) Solid LOX/kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

14,379

(31,700) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

101.4

(22,800) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Engine(s) 2 x Spey RB.163 Mk 511-8 Undisclosed Undisclosed

Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce Generation Orbit Ventions

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

50.7

(11,400) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 1.1 (3.7) est 0.8 (2.7) est

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

GOLauncher-2

A Gulfstream III 

business jet is the 

baseline carrier for 

GOLauncher-2
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Geosynchronous Satellite 

Launch Vehicle (GSLV) project 

began in 1990 with the objective 

of achieving an indigenous 

satellite launch capability to 

geosynchronous orbit (GEO). 

The vehicle was developed 

by the Indian Space Research 

organization (ISRO).

GSLV uses major components 

that are already proven in the 

PSLV vehicles in the form of the 

S125/S139 solid booster and 

the liquid-fueled Vikas engine. 

Engines are developed at ISRO’s 

Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre 

(LPSC).

The current variant, GSLV Mk.II 

was introduced in 2010 and uses 

an indigenous cryogenic engine, 

the CE-7.5 in the third stage 

instead of the Russian cryogenic 

engine used by the vehicle’s older 

version, GSLV Mk I. The 49.1 meter 

(161 ft) tall GSLV, with a lift-off mass 

of 414.8 metric tons, is a threestage vehicle that employs solid, 

liquid and cryogenic propulsion 

technologies. The payload fairing 

is 7.8 meter (26 ft) long and 3.4 

meters (11.2 ft) in diameter. The 

GSLV can place approximately 

5,000 kg (11,023 lb) into low earth 

orbit (LEO). GSLV can place 2,500 

kg (5,516 lb) into geosynchronous 

transfer orbit (GTO).

After experiencing four failures and 

one partially successful mission, 

the vehicle is not considered 

reliable. ISRO is working to 

replace the GSLV with the LVM3, 

which was successfully launched 

Launch service provider

ISRO/Antrix

Organization Headquarters

India

Manufacturer

ISRO

Mass, kg (lb)

414,750 (914,637)

Length, m (ft)

49.13 (161.2)

Wingspan, m (ft)

2.8 (9.2)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

GSLV

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

2,500 (5,516)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

5,000 (11,023)

Year of First Launch

2001

Number of Launches

9

Reliability

56%

Launch sites

Satish Dhawan (FLP, SLP)

Estimated Price per Launch

$27M

on a suborbital test mission in 

early 2015. India’s objective is to 

develop a fully indigenous launch 

capability, no longer relying on 

Arianespace for missions to GTO.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

GSLV

GSLV

Mk I

GSLV

Mk II

Liquid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation Strap-on Motors GS1 GS2 CUS

Length, m (ft) 19.7 (64.6) 20.3 (66.7) 11.6 (38) 8.7 (28.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.1 (6.8) 2.8 (9.1) 2.8 (9.1) 2.8 (9.1)

Manufacturer ISRO ISRO ISRO ISRO

Propellant N2O4/UDMH Solid N2O4/UDMH LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

40,000

(88,200)

129,000

(284,400)

37,500

(82,600)

12,400

(27,300)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

680

(152,870)

4,700

(1,056,602)

800

(179,847)

75

(16,861)

Engine(s) L40H Vikas 2 S139 Vikas CE-7.5

Engine manufacturer ISRO/LPSC ISRO/LPSC ISRO/LPSC ISRO/LPSC

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

170

(38,218)

4,700

(1,056,602)

800

(179,847)

75

(16,861)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 7.8 (26) 3.4 (11.2)

The GSLV Mk I has flown six 

times, while the GSLV Mk II 

hjas flown three times. There 

were three variants of the 

GSLV Mk I, each distinguished 

by differences in propellant 

capacity and quality across 

stages and solid boosters. 

Only one variant, the GSLV Mk 

I(c) remains in service. The 

GSLV Mk II differs from the Mk 

I primarily because of the third 

stage, which is built by ISRO. 

Upper stages used for the Mk I 

were built in Russia.

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The two-stage H-IIA and H-IIB, 

designed and built by Mitsubishi 

Heavy Industries (MHI), are Japan’s 

primary launch vehicles. 

The H-IIA vehicle features a 

cryogenic core stage powered by a 

single LE-7A engine, two large liquid 

rocket boosters, an upper stage, a 

payload adapter, and a payload 

fairing. The vehicle may also employ 

a combination of solid boosters to 

supplement thrust. The H-IIA 202 

uses two solid rocket boosters, and 

the H-IIA 204 uses four solid rocket 

boosters. The H-IIB features a large 

first stage powered by two LE-7A 

engines and supplemented by four 

liquid rocket boosters and a second 

stage powered by an LE-5B engine.

There are currently two versions 

of the H-IIA and one version of 

the H-IIB available. The H-IIA (with 

two or four solid boosters) is used 

to launch a variety of satellites to 

low Earth orbit, geosynchronous 

transfer orbits, and beyond. The 

H-IIB (with four upgraded solid 

boosters) is currently used to 

Launch service provider

MHI Launch Services

Organization Headquarters

Japan

Manufacturer

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mass, kg (lb)

89,000-530,000

(637,136-1,168,450)

Length, m (ft)

53-57 (173.9-187)

Diameter, m (ft)

4 (13.1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

H-IIA/B

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

4,000-6,000 (8,818-13,228)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

10,000-16,500 (22,046-36,376)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

3,600-4,400 (7,937-9,700)

Year of First Launch

2001 (H-IIA), 2009 (H-IIB)

Number of Launches

29 (H-IIA), 5 (H-IIB)

Reliability

97% (H-IIA), 100% (H-IIB)

Launch sites

Tanegashima (LA-Y)

Estimated Price per Launch

$90M-$112.5M

launch the H-II Transfer Vehicle 

(HTV) to the International 

Space Station (ISS), and has 

recently been offered as an 

option for commercial satellite 

customers. 

The H-II vehicle family can 

trace its lineage through the 

H-I, the N-1, and ultimately the 

U.S. Thor intermediate range 

ballistic missile.

In 2014, the Japan Aerospace 

Exploration Agency (JAXA) 

requested the MHI begin 

development of the H-III, a 

replacement for the H-IIA/B 

expected by 2020.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

H-IIA/B

H-IIA

202

H-IIA

204

H-IIB

Solid Boosters

(H-IIA)*

Solid Boosters 

(H-IIB)* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation SRB-A SRB-A3 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 15 (49.2) 15.1 (49.5) 37 (121.4) 11 (36.1)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.5 (8.2) 2.5 (8.2) 4 (13.1) 4 (13.1)

Manufacturer Nissan Nissan Mitsubishi Mitsubishi

Propellant Solid Solid LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

60,500

(133,380)

66,000

(145,505)

101,000

(222,667)

17,000

(37,479)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,260

(508,068)

1,580

(355,198)

1,098

(246,840)

137

(30,799)

Engine(s) -- -- LE-7A LE-5B

Engine manufacturer -- -- Mitsubishi Mitsubishi

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,260 

(508,068)

1,580

(355,198)

1,098

(246,840)

137

(30,799)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 12 (39.4) 4.07 (13.4)

The H-IIA is used for a variety 

of missions and represents 

the workhorse launch vehicle 

for Japan. The H-IIB has been 

used exlusively to send cargo 

to the ISS, but recently MHI 

Launch Services has made the 

vehicle avalabile for commercial 

use. 

The first commercial mission 

using the H-IIA took place 

in 2015 with the launch of 

Telstar-12 Vantage.

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The H-III launch vehicle is the 

successor to the H-IIA launch vehicle, 

and is currently in development by the 

Japanese government and Mitsubishi 

Heavy Industries. This 60-meter-tall 

vehicle will be powered by a core stage 

that includes a liquid hydrogen/liquid 

oxygen engine, named the LE-9. The 

second stage will use a single LE-5B 

engine. In addition to the core stage 

engine, the H-III will be powered by 

two, four, or six solid rocket boosters. 

There are three proposed variants to 

the H-III. Total capacity for the new 

launch vehicle is projected to be 6.5 

metric tons of payload to GTO.

One of the key differentiators between 

the H-III and its predecessor is a lower 

price point. The typical cost of an 

H-IIA is $100 million, which has not 

been competitive in the commercial 

launch industry. Japan intends to 

drive launch costs for the new vehicle 

down to $50-70 million. Whereas the 

Japanese government would like to 

strengthen its competitive posture in 

the international commercial launch 

market through development of the 

H-III, the primary use of the vehicle will 

be to lift government payloads to orbit. 

The first launch is estimated to occur 

in 2020 from the Tanegashima Space 

Center in Japan.

Launch service provider

MHI Launch Services

Organization Headquarters

Japan

Manufacturer

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

63 (206.7)

Diameter, m (ft)

5.2 (17.1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

H-III

Year of Planned First Launch

2020

Launch site

Tanegashima (LA-Y)

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

6,500 (14,330)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

10,000 (22,046)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

4,00 (8,818)

Estimated Price per Launch

$65M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

H-III

Solid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation SRB-A3 derivative 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) Undisclosed Undisclosed 11 (36.1)

Diameter, m (ft) Undisclosed Undisclosed 4 (13.1)

Manufacturer Nissan Mistubishi Mitsubishi

Propellant Solid LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed 17,000(37,479)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) Undisclosed 2,896(652,000)

137

(30,799)

Engine(s) -- 2 x LE-9 LE-5B

Engine manufacturer -- Mitsubishi Mitsubishi

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) Undisclosed 1,448(326,000)

137

(30,799)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 12 (39.4) est 4.07 (13.4) est

H-III H-III2 H-III4 H-III6

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship 

Company are co-developing the airlaunched, two-stage LauncherOne 

vehicle. The Spaceship Company is a 

joint venture between Virgin Galactic 

and Northrop Grumman-owned Scaled 

Composites.

LauncherOne is designed to address 

the growing demand for microsatellites 

by providing dedicated microsatellite 

services, including rapid scheduling 

and fast constellation replenishment. 

The Virgin Galactic is more widely 

known as the company poised to 

provide space tourism flights with its 

SpaceShipTwo vehicles, it will also 

be the launch service provider for 

LauncherOne.

Originally conceived as a vehicle 

capable of sending 225 kg to low 

Earth orbit (LEO), the company has 

since increased that capacity to 400 

kg to address the diverse needs of 

the microsatellite market. This meant 

that the original carrier aircraft, the 

WhiteKnightTwo, was no longer able 

to lift LauncherOne. As a result, Virgin 

Galactic has secured a Boeing 747-

400 aircraft, repurposed from its former 

role as a Virgin Atlantic airliner.

Virgin Galactic has been selected 

by Skybox Imaging, Spaceflight 

Industries, GeoOptics, Planetary 

Resources, and OneWeb as a launch 

provider. The 2015 OneWeb contract 

covers 39 LauncherOne missions with 

an option for 100 more. 

As of the end of 2015, few details 

regarding the technical specifications 

of the LauncherOne system are publicly 

available.

Launch service provider

Virgin Galactic

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Virgin Galactic

The Spaceship Company

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

400 (882)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

225 (496)

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

Undisclosed

Diameter, m (ft)

Undisclosed

Year of Planned First Launch

2017

Launch sites

Spaceport America

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

LauncherOne

Estimated Price per Launch

$10M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 747-400 Cosmic Girl 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 70.6 (232) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Diameter/Wingspan, m (ft) 64.4 (211) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Manufacturer Boeing The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company

Propellant Kerosene (Jet-A1) LOX/kerosene LOX/kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

175,652

(387,247) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,097

(246,615)

335

(75,000)

22.2

(5,000)

Engine(s) 4 x GE CF6-80C2B5F 1 x NewtonThree 1 x NewtonFour

Engine manufacturer General Electric The Spaceship Company The Spaceship Company

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

274.2

(61,500)

335

(75,000)

22.2

(5,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing Undisclosed Undisclosed

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

LauncherOne

An artist’s impression of the LauncherOne vehicle integrated with a Boeing 747-400 carrier 

aircraft. Source: Virgin Galactic
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

First launched from Jiuquan Space Launch 

Center in 1975, the Long March 2C launch 

vehicle has been a workhorse. The rocket 

is part of the Long March 2 family and 

is the successor to the Long March 2A 

launch vehicle. As of December 31, 2015, 

China has successfully launched 43 Long 

March 2C vehicles. There has only been 

one reported launch failure during its 

operational life.

There exist six variants of the Long March 

C launch vehicle, and these variants range 

from 2-stage to 3-stage designs, and are 

considered medium-capacity vehicles, 

capable of lifting payloads to low Earth orbit 

(LEO), geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), 

or direct to geosynchronous orbit (GEO), 

depending on the variant. Launches 

to LEO polar orbit are conducted from 

Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, whereas 

launches to GTO and GEO are conducted 

from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

The Long March 2C is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles. A 

proposed variant of the Long March 5 

may be pursued to fulfill the capability 

offered by the Long March 2C, since the 

new Long March 6 and Long March 11 

are much smaller.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

233,000 (513,677)

Length, m (ft)

42 (138)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2C

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

1,250 (2,758)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,850 (8,488)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,900 (4,189)

Year of First Launch

1982

Number of Launches

41

Reliability

98%

Launch sites

Jiuquan (LA-2, LA-4)

Taiyuan (LA-7, LA-9)

Xichang (LA-3)

Estimated Price per Launch

$30M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2C

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 2804

Length, m (ft) 25.7 (84.3) 7.8 (25.6) 1.5 (4.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11.2) 3.4 (11.2) 2.7 (8.9)

Manufacturer SAST SAST SAST

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) 162,706 (358,705) 54,667(120,520)

125

(275.6)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) 2,961.6 (665,794) 741.3(166,651)

10.8

(2,428)

Engine(s) 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24E --

Engine manufacturer SAST SAST --

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

741.3

(166,651)

10.8

(2,428)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 7 (22.9) 3.4 (11.2)

A Long March 2C carrying Shijian-11 07 is launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in 

2014. Source: www.news.cn
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Primarily used to lift payloads to LEO 

and SSO, the 41-meter-tall, two-stage 

Long March 2D launch vehicle is part 

of the Long March 2 family of rockets. 

First launched from Jiuquan Satellite 

Launch Center in 1992, this Chinese 

launch vehicle has completed 25 

successful launches. Two variants of 

the Long March 2D are known, and both 

are two-stage rockets that employe 

engines fueled by N2O4/UDMH.

In addition, this launch vehicle can use 

two different types of payload fairings 

(Type A: 2.9-m diameter, Type B: 3.35-

m diameter). The launch vehicle is 

capable of lifting a 1,300 kg payload 

to a 645 km sun synchronous orbit 

(SSO) orbit and 3,500 kg payload to 

a 200 km low Earth orbit (LEO) orbit. 

The vehicle is not used for missions to 

geosynchronous orbit (GEO).

The Long March 2D is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles. A 

proposed variant of the Long March 5 

may be pursued to fulfill the capability 

offered by the Long March 2D, since 

the new Long March 6 and Long March 

11 are much smaller.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

232,250 (512,024)

Length, m (ft)

41 (134.5)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2D

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,500 (7,716)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,300 (2,866)

Year of First Launch

1992

Number of Launches

25

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Jiuquan (LA-2, LA-4)

Estimated Price per Launch

$30M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2D

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 27.9 (91.5) 10.9 (35.8)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11.2) 3.4 (11.2)

Manufacturer SAST SAST

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

182,000

(401,241)

52,700

(116,184)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) 2,961.6 (665,794) 742(166,808)

Engine(s) 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24C

Engine manufacturer SAST SAST

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

742

(166,808)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 7 (22.9) 3.4 (11.2)

A Long March 2D carrying Tianhui-1C is launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in 

2015. Source: Xinghua
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Long March 2F, introduced in 

1999, is China’s only vehicle designed 

to transport astronauts. The two-stage 

vehicle is ultimately derived from the 

Long March 2C via the Long March 

2E, a retired vehicle that was used 

to send payloads to geosynchronous 

orbit (GEO).

The Long March 2F carried the 

Shenzhou spacecraft, which consists 

of an orbital module, a descent module, 

and a service module. Shenzhou is 

partly derived from Soviet/Russian 

Soyuz hardware, which was purchased 

by the Chinese government in 1995. 

However, the Shenzhou is significantly 

different than the Soyuz in terms of 

dimensions, internal arrangement, 

and subsystems.

There have been eleven launches 

of the Long March 2F. Ten of these 

supported Shenzhou missions, six 

of which carried crews. The eleventh 

launch was of Tiangong-1 in 2011, 

China’s first space station with a 

design not unlike the early Salyut/

Almaz systems launched by the Soviet 

Union in the 1970s.

China’s Tiangong-2 is scheduled 

for launch in 2016, followed by the 

crewed Shenzhou-11, which will dock 

with the station. Both of these missions 

will be launched by separate Long 

March 2F vehicles. Crewed missions 

are expected to be launched by the 

Long March 5 vehicle, which may be 

introduced in 2016. 

Launch service provider

PLA/CNSA

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT

Mass, kg (lb)

464,000 (1,022,945)

Length, m (ft)

62 (203.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2F

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

8,400 (18,519)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Year of First Launch

1999

Number of Launches

11

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Jiuquan (LC-43/921)

Estimated Price per Launch

N/A
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 2F

Liquid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation Liquid Boosters (4) 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 15.3 (50.2) 23.7 (77.8) 13.5 (44.3)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 3.4 (11) 3.4 (11)

Manufacturer CALT CALT CALT

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

37,800

(83,335)

187,000

(412,264)

86,000

(189,598)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,256

(731,978)

13,024

(2,927,912)

831

(186,816)

Engine(s) 1 x YF-20B 4 x YF-20B 1 x YF-24B

Engine manufacturer CALT CALT CALT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,256

(731,978)

3,256

(731,978)

831

(186,816)

The Long March 2F carrying Shenzhou 

9 is rolled to the launch pad in jiuquan in 

2012. Source: SinoDefence

The Shenzhou spacecraft (above) is 

similar to the Russian Soyuz (below). 

China had purchased Soyuz hardware 

from Russia in 1995 to support China’s 

921-1 human spaceflight program begun 

in 1992.

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

This operational launch vehicle has been 

launched successful 24 times since 

its first launch in 1994. Developed by 

the China Academy of Launch Vehicle 

Technology (CALT), Long March 3A is 

part of the Long March 3 rocket family 

and is considered an intermediatecapacity launch vehicle. Long March 

3A is capable of lifting a 2,600 kg 

payload to geostationary transfer orbit 

(GTO) and a 6,000 kg payload to a 200 

km low Earth orbit (LEO). The Chinese 

launch the three-stage Long March 3A 

from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, 

primarily to place communications and 

navigation satellites into GTO.

The Long March 3A divides into three 

stages. The first and second stages 

use a N2O4/UDMH fuel whereas the 

third stage uses a liquid oxygen (LOX) 

oxidizer and liquid hydrogen (LH2) fuel. 

This launch vehicle is the predecessor 

to a higher-capacity launch vehicle 

in the Long March 3 family, the Long 

March 3B.

The Long March 3A is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles, 

particularly the Long March 5 series. 

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT/SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

241,000 (531,314)

Length, m (ft)

52.5 (172.2)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3A

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

2,600 (5,732)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

8,500 (18,739)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Year of First Launch

1994

Number of Launches

23

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Xichang (LA-2, LA-3)

Estimated Price per Launch

$70M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3A

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 23.3 (76.4) 11.3 (37.1) 12.4 (40.7)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11) 3.4 (11) 3 (9.8)

Manufacturer SAST SAST CALT

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH LOX/LH2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

171,800

(378,754)

32,600

(71,871)

18,200

(40,124)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,265

(734,001)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

Engine(s) 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24E 1 x YF-75

Engine manufacturer SAST SAST CALT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

816.3

(183,512)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 8.9 (29.2) 3.4 (11)

A Long March 3A carrying Fengyun 2G is launched from Xichang in 2014.

Source: ChinaNews
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

With a low Earth orbit (LEO) capacity of 

12,000 kg (26,456 lb), the Long March 

3B is currently China’s most powerful 

launch vehicle. The vehicle is derived 

from the Long March 3A vehicle, with 

the key difference being that the Long 

March 3B uses four liquid boosters. The 

vehicle is primarily used for missions to 

a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), 

but can be used for uncrewed science 

missions to the Moon (Chang’e-3).

The Long March 3B has been 

upgraded on a few occassions since 

its introduction in 1996. The Long 

March 3B/E (“E” for “enhanced”) 

featured a larger first stage and liquid 

rocket boosters, increasing its capacity 

to GTO from 5,100 kg (11,244 lb) 

to 5,500 kg (12,125 lb). This variant 

flew for the first time in 2007. Another 

variant, called the Long March 3B/YZ1, was introduced in 2015. This vehicle 

features a new, restartable upper 

stage called Yuanzheng-1, enabling 

the vehicle to send payloads to high 

energy orbits, such as a direct insertion 

to a geostationary orbit (GSO).

The Long March 3B is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles, 

particularly the Long March 5 series. 

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT/SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

458,970 (1,011,856)

Length, m (ft)

56.3 (184.7)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3B/E

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

5,500 (12,125)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

12,000 (26,456)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

5,700 (12,566)

Year of First Launch

2007

Number of Launches

22

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Xichang (LA-2, LA-3)

Estimated Price per Launch

$70M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3B/E

Liquid 

Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4rd Stage Option

Stage designation Liquid Boosters 

(4) 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage Yuanzheng-1

Length, m (ft) 16.1 (52.8) 24.8 (81.4) 12.9 (42.3) 12.4 (40.7) Undisclosed

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 3.4 (11) 3.4 (11) 3 (9.8) Undisclosed

Manufacturer CALT SAST SAST CALT CALT

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

41,100

(90,610)

186,200

(410,501)

49,400

(108,908)

18,200

(40,124) Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

3,265

(734,001)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

6.5

(1,500)

Engine(s) 1 x YF-25 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24E 1 x YF-75 1 x YF-50D

Engine manufacturer CALT SAST SAST CALT CALT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

816.3

(183,512)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

6.5

(1,500)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 8.9 (29.2) 4 (13.1)

A Long March 3B/YZ-1 carrying BDS I2-S is launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 

2015. Source: CNS/XNA

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch service provider

PLA/CNSA

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT/SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

345,000 (760,595)

Length, m (ft)

54.8 (179.8)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3C

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

3,800 (8,378)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Year of First Launch

2008

Number of Launches

12

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Xichang (LA-2, LA-3)

Estimated Price per Launch

$70M

The Long March 3C, introduced in 

2008, is designed to fill a capacity gap 

between the Long March 3A, which 

handles relatively small payloads to 

geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and 

the Long March 3B, which handles large 

payloads to GTO. The Long March 3C is 

designed to send payloads with a mass 

of between 3,000 kg (6,614 lb) to 3,800 

kg (8,378 lb). The vehicle is sometimes 

used for uncrewed Chang’e science 

missions, having launched Chang’e-2 

to the Moon in 2010 and Chang’e-T1 to 

a high lunar orbit in 2014.

The Long March 3C has been 

predominantly used to support the 

Beidou global navigation satellite 

system, having sent seven Beidou 

Compass satellites to GTO. 

The Long March 3C is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles, 

particularly the Long March 5 series. 
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 3C

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 8.9 (29.2) 4 (13.1)

Liquid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation Liquid Boosters (2) 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 16.1 (52.8) 24.8 (81.4) 12.9 (42.3) 12.4 (40.7)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 3.4 (11) 3.4 (11) 3 (9.8)

Manufacturer CALT SAST SAST CALT

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

41,100

(90,610)

186,200

(410,501)

49,400

(108,908)

18,200

(40,124)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

3,265

(734,001)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

Engine(s) 1 x YF-25 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24E 1 x YF-75

Engine manufacturer CALT SAST SAST CALT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

740.4

(166,449)

816.3

(183,512)

742

(166,808)

167

(37,543)

A Long March 3C stands poised for launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in 2011. 

Source: ChinaDailyMail.com

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Long March 4B, like the similar 

Long March 4C, is a workhorse launch 

vehicle used by the Chinese since 1999 

to send payloads into polar orbits from 

the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center 

near Beijing. On only one occassion, 

the vehicle was launched from Jiuquan. 

The Long March 4 series was originally 

conceived as a backup for the Long 

March 3 series in support of missions 

to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). 

However, the vehicle proved more 

capable for polar orbiting missions. 

The vehicle is manufactured by the 

Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight 

Technology (SAST).

The vehicle is based on the Long 

March 4 vehicle, conceived in the late 

1980s but never built. The Long March 

4B was an imporvment to that original 

design, featuring a larger payload 

fairing; improved telemetry, tracking, 

control, and self-destruction systems; 

and new propulsion elements designed 

to increase the vehicle’s capacity to 

orbit.

The Long March 4B is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles, 

particularly the Long March 5 series.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

249,200 (549,392)

Length, m (ft)

45.8 (150.3)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 4B

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

1,500 (3,307)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

4,200 (9,259)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

2,800 (6,173)

Year of First Launch

1999

Number of Launches

26

Reliability

96%

Launch sites

Jiuquan (LA-4)

Taiyuan (LA-7)

Estimated Price per Launch

$30M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 4B

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 27.9 (91.5) 10.9 (35.8) 14.8 (48.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11.2) 3.4 (11) 2.9 (9.5)

Manufacturer SAST SAST SAST

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

182,000

(401,241)

52,700

(116,184)

14,000

(30,865)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,265

(734,001)

741.3

(166,651)

206

(46,311)

Engine(s) 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24C 2 x YF-40

Engine manufacturer SAST SAST SAST

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

816.3

(183,512)

741.3

(166,651)

103

(23,155)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 8.5 (27.9) 3.4 (11.2)

A Long March 4B carrying Ziyuan 3 

and VesselSat-2 is launched from 

Taiyuan in 2012. Source: Xinghua
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Long March 4C is derived from 

the Long March 4B, but both vehicles 

are used to support missions to low 

Earth orbit (LEO) and sun synchronous 

orbits (SSO). Unlike the Long March 

4B, which is primarilly launched from 

the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, 

the Long March 4C is also frequently 

launched from the Jiuquan Satellite 

Launch Center. Launches from 

Taiyuan typically support meteorology 

missions, whereas those from Jiuquan 

support image intelligence missions. 

The vehicle is manufactured by the 

Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight 

Technology (SAST).

The Long March 4C differs from the 

Long March 4B in that it features a 

larger volume payload fairing and a 

restartable third stage.

The Long March 4C is expected to be 

retired before 2020 as China introduces 

several new Long March vehicles, 

particularly the Long March 5 series.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

SAST

Mass, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Length, m (ft)

Undisclosed

Diameter, m (ft)

Undisclosed

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 4C

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

1,500 (3,307)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

4,200 (9,259)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

2,800 (6,73)

Year of First Launch

2006

Number of Launches

17

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Jiuquan (LA-4)

Taiyuan (LA-7, LA-9)

Estimated Price per Launch

$30M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 4C

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 27.9 (91.5) 10.9 (35.8) 14.8 (48.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11.2) 3.4 (11) 2.9 (9.5)

Manufacturer SAST SAST SAST

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

182,000

(401,241)

52,700

(116,184)

14,000

(30,865)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

3,265

(734,001)

741.3

(166,651)

201.8

(45,366)

Engine(s) 4 x YF-21C 1 x YF-24C 2 x YF-40A

Engine manufacturer SAST SAST SAST

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

816.3

(183,512)

741.3

(166,651)

100.9

(22,683)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 8.5 (27.9) 3.4 (11.2)

Larger Fairing Undisclosed Undisclosed

A Long March 4C carrying Yaogan 15 is launched from Taiyuan in 2012. Source: ChinaNews
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The China Academy of Launch 

Vehicle Technology (CALT) is 

currently developing the next 

generation of Chinese launch 

vehicles, the Long March 5 

family. The effort is focused on 

two versions, the Long March 5 

and Long March 5B, with several 

dditional variants expected in the 

years to follow. The first launch of a 

Long March 5 is expected in 2016, 

which will apparently represent 

the inaugural launch from China’s 

new Wencheng Satellite Launch 

Center located on Hainan Island.

The Long March 5 series may 

be used for the bulk of launches, 

handling missions to low Earth 

orbit (LEO), sun synchronous 

orbits (SSO), and geostationary 

transfer orbit (GTO). 

While CALT is the systems 

integrator for Long March 5, 

the Academy of Aerospace 

Launch service provider

PLA/CNSA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT

Mass, kg (lb)

869,000 (1,915,817)

Length, m (ft)

62 (203.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

5 (16.4)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 5

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

14,000 (30,865)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

25,000 (55,116)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

Wenchang

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed

Propulsion Technology 

(AAPT) is developing the 

new engines.

Since the Long March 5 will 

replace the Long March 

3B/E for GTO launches, 

it is likely the vehicle will 

be marketed as an option 

for satellite operators 

worldwide. 
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 5

Liquid 

Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage Option

2nd Stage 

Option 3rd Stage

Stage designation Liquid Boosters 

(4) 1st Stage 2nd Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11) 5 (16.4) 5 (16.4) 5 (16.4)

Manufacturer CALT CALT CALT CALT CALT

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/H2 LOX/H2 LOX/H2 LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,358

(530,100)

1,018

(228,856)

44.2

(9,937)

176.6

(39,701)

78.5

(17,648)

Engine(s) 2 x YF-100 2 x YF-77 1 x YF-73 2 x YF-75D 1 x YF-75

Engine manufacturer AAPT AAPT AAPT AAPT AAPT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,179

(265,050)

509

(114,428)

44.2

(9,937)

88.3

(19,851)

78.5

(17,648)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 12.5 (41) 5.2 (17.1)

The Long March 5 takes shape at CALT. Source: Xinghua

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Long March 6 is a cooperative effort 

between China Aerospace Science and 

Technology Corporation (SAST) and 

the China Academy of Launch Vehicle 

Technology (CALT). It is a small, liquidfueled vehicle that has a low Earth orbit 

(LEO) payload capacity less than that 

provided by the currently available smallclass Long March 2C, meaning the vehicle 

serves a niche previously not directly 

addressed. 

Pursuit of a small-class launch vehicle 

started in the late 1990s and resulted in the 

Kaitouzhe (launched in 2002 and 2003). 

The vehicle used solid propellant and was 

easily transported using a trailer. Following 

a failure in 2003, the Kaitouzhe program 

ended. The Long March 6, Long March 

11, and Kuaizhou vehicles have been 

under development since, each vehicle 

offering small capacity options for the 

government and, potentially, commercial 

satellite oeprators. Of these vehicles, the 

Long March 6 has the highest capacity to 

LEO at 1,500 kg (3,307 kg). 

The vehicle is easily transported via a 

mobile trailer from the manufacturing and 

systems integration site to the launch site. 

This, combined with public statements 

from the Chinese government, indicate 

that the vehicle will be used to support 

rapid deployment missions for the People’s 

Liberation Army (PLA). 

Its inaugural launch from the Taiyuan 

Satellite Launch Center in 2015 was notable 

because it carried 20 microsatellites, 

some of which were built in China using 

the CubeSat standard (10 cm cubic form 

factor). For this reason, it is possible the 

vehicle will be offered as a commercial 

option.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

SAST/CALT

Mass, kg (lb)

103,217 (227,555)

Length, m (ft)

29 (95.1)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 6

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,500 (3,307)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,080 (2,381)

Year of First Launch

2015

Number of Launches

1

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Taiyuan (LA-16)

Wenchang

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 6

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Length, m (ft) 15 (49.2) 7.3 (24) 1.8 (5.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.4 (11) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5)

Manufacturer CALT SAST SAST

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene H2O2/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

76,000

(167,551)

15,000

(33,069) Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,179

(265,050)

175

(39,342)

16

(3,597)

Engine(s) 1 x YF-100 1 x YF-115 4 x YF-85

Engine manufacturer AAPT AAPT AAPT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,179

(265,050)

175

(39,342)

4

(899)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 5.7 (18.7) 2.3 (7.5)

Large Fairing 5.7 (18.7) 2.6 (8.5)

The Long March 6 being transported to the launch site. Source: 
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The China Academy of Launch 

Vehicle Technology (CALT) is 

currently developing the next 

generation of Chinese launch 

vehicles, the Long March 7 family. 

The first launch of a Long March 

7 is expected in 2016 from China’s 

new Wencheng Satellite Launch 

Center located on Hainan Island.

The Long March 7 series is being 

designed to handle missions to 

low Earth orbit (LEO) and sun 

synchronous orbits (SSO). It will 

apparently not be used for missions 

destined for geostationary transfer 

orbit (GTO). The vehicle will 

replace the Long March 2F as a 

means to send astronauts into 

space.

While CALT is the systems 

integrator for Long March 7, the 

Academy of Aerospace Propulsion 

Technology (AAPT) is developing 

the new engines.

Launch service provider

PLA/CGWIC

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT

Mass, kg (lb)

594,000 (1,309,546)

Length, m (ft)

53.1 (174.2)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.4 (11)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 7

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

13,500 (29,762)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

5,500 (12,125)

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

Wenchang

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 7

Liquid Boosters* 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation K2 Liquid Boosters (4) K3 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) Undisclosed 15 (49.2) 7.3 (24)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 3.4 (11) 2.3 (7.5)

Manufacturer CALT CALT SAST

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed 76,000(167,551)

15,000

(33,069)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

4,716

(1,060,199)

2,358

(530,100)

700

(157,366)

Engine(s) 1 x YF-100 2 x YF-100 4 x YF-115

Engine manufacturer AAPT AAPT AAPT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,179

(265,050)

1,179

(265,050)

175

(39,342)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing Undisclosed Undisclosed

The Long March 7 

being manufactured at 

a CALT facility. Delays 

in development have 

apparently been caused by 

problems with propellant 

supply system designs 

with the Long March 5 and 

Long March 7. Source: 

Aviation Week and Space 

Technology

A Long March 7 stands upon its mobile 

launch platform at the Wencheng 

Satellite Launch Center in 2015. Source: 

Popular Science

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The solid-fueled Long March 11 first flew in 

2015, just days after China had successfully 

introduced the liquid-fueled Long March 

6. Whereas the Long March 6 can send 

payloads with a mass of 1,500 kg (3,307 

lb) to low Earth orbit (LEO), the Long March 

11 can only send payloads of up to 700 kg 

(1,543 lb) to LEO. Like the Long March 6, the 

Long March 11 can be transported relatively 

easily between a storage facility and the 

launch site, enabling rapid deployment of 

satellites. The fact that the Long March 11 is 

storable is notable. 

Little else is publicly known about the vehicle, 

but it may have benefited from development 

of the Kaitouzhe launch vehicle that flew 

twice; once successfully in 2002 and once 

unsuccessfully in 2003. It appears the 

vehicle is transported within a protective 

shroud. While a photograph indicates it 

is erected upon the launch pad within the 

shroud, it is unclear if the shroud is removed 

prior to launch or falls away during launch.

It is unlikely this vehicle will be offered 

commercially, since it appears to be 

optimized for military use.

Launch service provider

PLA

Organization Headquarters

China

Manufacturer

CALT

Mass, kg (lb)

58,000 (127,868) est

Length, m (ft)

20.8 (68.2) est

Diameter, m (ft)

2 (6.6) est

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 11

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

700 (1,543)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

350 (772)

Year of First Launch

2015

Number of Launches

1

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Jiuquan

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Long March 11

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Length, m (ft) 9 (29.5) est 3 (9.8) est 1 (3.3) est Undisclosed

Diameter, m (ft) 2 (6.6) est 2 (6.6) est 1.4 (4.6) est Undisclosed

Manufacturer CALT CALT CALT CALT

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Undisclosed

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf) Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed Undisclosed

Engine(s) -- -- -- 1 x YF-50

Engine manufacturer -- -- -- CALT

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- -- -- Undisclosed

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 2 (6.6) est 1.6 (5.2) est

The Long March 11 is 

apparently transported 

and erected within a 

protective shroud. Source: 

CCTV

Few clear images of the Long 

March 11 exist. This photo shows 

the vehicle being prepared for 

launch. Source: Weibo.com
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The LVM3, formally called the 

Geosynchronous Space Launch 

Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk 

III), is a launch vehicle being 

developed by the Indian Space 

Researc organization (ISRO). It 

is designed to enable India to 

achieve complete self reliance 

in terms of sending satellites to 

geosynchronous orbits (GEO). 

Currently, India largely depends 

on Europe’s Ariane 5 ECA to 

send ISRO payloads to GEO.

The LVM3 will feature an 

indigienously built cryogenic 

stage with higher capacity than 

Launch service provider

ISRO/Antrix

Organization Headquarters

India

Manufacturer

ISRO

Mass, kg (lb)

640,000 (1,410,000)

Length, m (ft)

43.4 (142.5)

Diameter, m (ft)

4 (13.1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

LVM3

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

4,000 (8,818)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

8,000 (17,637)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

Satish Dhawan (SLP)

Estimated Price per Launch

$60M

GSLV. The GSLV Mk I 

used a Russian-build 

engine for the cryogenic 

upper stage. The 

engines are developed 

by ISRO’s Liquid 

Propulsion Systems 

Centre (LPSC). 

The first experimental 

flight of LVM3 was 

a suborbital launch 

of the Crew Module 

Atmospheric Re-entry 

Experiment (CARE) 

reentry test capsule. 

The successful launch 

took place from the 

Satish Dhawan Space 

Center on December 

18, 2014. The capsule 

reentered, deployed 

its parachutes as 

planned, and splashed 

down in the Bay of 

Bengal.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

LVM3

Liquid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation S200 (2) L110 C25

Length, m (ft) 25 (82) 17 (55.8) 13.5 (44.3)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.2 (10.5) 4 (13.1) 4 (13.1)

Manufacturer ISRO ISRO ISRO

Propellant Solid N2O4/UDMH LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

207,000

(456,357)

110,000

(242,508)

27,000

(59,525)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

5,150

(1,157,766)

1,598

(359,245)

186

(41,815)

Engine(s) -- 2 x Vikas 1 x CE-20

Engine manufacturer -- ISRO/LPSC ISRO/LPSC

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- 799(179,622)

186

(41,815)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 6 (19.7) 5 (16.4)

The LVM3 on the pad at Satish Dhawan 

Space Center prior to its inaugural launch 

in December 2014. Source: ISRO

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

XCOR Aerospace is developing the Lynx suborbital reusable 

vehicle, which builds on XCOR’s previously demonstrated 

rocket-powered aircraft, the EZ-Rocket and X-Racer. 

The Lynx family of vehicles are piloted horizontal takeoff/horizontal landing (HTHL) vehicles designed to 

carry one pilot and one participant. The initial Mark I 

test vehicle will not cross the boundary of space, but 

the Mark II and Mark III are designed to reach over 100 

kilometers (62 miles) altitude. 

XCOR is developing the Lynx vehicle through a phased 

approach. The Lynx Mark I test vehicle currently under 

construction is expected to start flying in 2016 or 2017. 

The Lynx Mark II operational vehicle will likely not enter 

service until at least 2017. The more capable Lynx Mark 

III vehicle, with introduction anticipated no earlier than 

2018, will include a dorsal pod for larger suborbital 

payloads, space telescopes, or for launching small 

satellites.

The Lynx vehicles will initially fly from the Mojave Air and 

Space Port; however, they can operate from any licensed 

spaceport with a 2,400-meter (8,000-foot) runway.

In 2014, XCOR started development of its new 

headquarters at Midland International Air and Space Port, 

Texas. Manufacturing of Lynx II and Lynx III vehicles will 

take place at a hangar adjacent to the Shuttle Landing 

Facility (SLF) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Launch service provider

XCOR Aerospace

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

XCOR Aerospace

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

10 (22)

Mass, kg (lb)

4,850 (10,692)

Length, m (ft)

8.5 (27.9)

Wingspan, m (ft)

7.3 (24)

Year of Planned First Launch

2018

Launch sites

KSC (Runway)

Midland International Airport

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Lynx Mark III

Estimated Price per Launch

$545,000
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation Lynx Mark III 2nd Stage

Length, m (ft) 10 (33) 3.4 (11.2) est

Diameter/Wingspan, m (ft) 7.3 (24) 0.7 (2.3) est

Manufacturer XCOR Aerospace XCOR Aerospace

Propellant LOX/Kerosene Undisclosed

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

12.9

(2,900) Undisclosed

Engine(s) 4 x XR-5K18 Undisclosed

Engine manufacturer XCOR Aerospace XCOR Aerospace

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

51.6

(11,600) Undisclosed

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing N/A N/A

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Lynx Mark III

The Lynx Mark I continues to take shape in this 2015 photo. Source: XCOR Aerospace
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur I

Orbital ATK provides the Minotaur I as 

a responsive and cost-effective launch 

solution for U.S. Government spacecraft. 

The launch vehicle is composed of 

residual 1960s era Minuteman II first 

and second stage solid rocket motors 

integrated with Orion upper stages. 

Because it leverages retired ballistic 

missile components that were designed 

to be stored for long periods of time, 

the Minotaur I requires little in the way 

of launch infrastructure and processing. 

This makes it an attractive choice for 

small military payloads in particular.

The M55 first stage is powered by 

four individual nozzles that can be 

gimballed for attitude control. When 

launched from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic 

Regional Spaceport (MARS), the first 

stage is protected from cold weather 

by an insulative blanket that peels away 

as the vehicle clears the tower. An 

optional Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion 

Stage (HAPS) is also available as a fifth 

stage, though this has not been used on 

previous missions. Eleven successful 

launches of the Minotaur I placed 62 

satellites into orbit.

Minotaur I missions are provided under 

the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP) 

managed by the U.S. Air Force Space 

and Missile Systems Center (SMC), 

Advanced Systems and Development 

Directorate, Rocket Systems Launch 

Program. 

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

580 (1,279)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

331 (730)

Mass, kg (lb)

36,200 (79,807)

Length, m (ft)

19.2 (63)

Diameter, m (ft)

1.7 (5.6)

Year of First Launch

2000

Number of Launches

11

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

VAFB (SLC-8)

MARS (LP-0B)

Estimated Price per Launch

$40M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur I

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation M55 A1 SR19 Orion-50XL Orion-38

Length, m (ft) 7 (22.9) 2.6 (8.4) 2.3 (7.2) 1.8 (5.8)

Diameter, m (ft) 1.7 (5.5) 1.3 (4.3) 1.2 (4.1) 1.2 (4.1)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

20,785

(45,823)

6,237

(13,750)

3,930

(8,664)

770

(1,698)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

935

(210,000)

268

(60,000)

118.2

(26,600)

34.8

(7,800)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 3.8 (12.5) 1.3 (4.3)

Stretched Fairing 6.1 (20) 1.6 (5.2)

A Minotaur I lifts off from MARS on 

November 20, 2013 carrying 29 payloads. 

At the time, this was a U.S. record for 

number of payloads launched at once. Note 

the insulative blanket, which peels away 

seconds after lift off. Source: Orbital ATK 

Minotaur I

Standard Fairing

Minotaur I

Extended Fairing
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur IV

The Minotaur IV is an orbital launch 

vehicle offered by Orbital ATK. The 

vehicle is derived from the Peacekeeper 

intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 

The four-stage vehicle is exclusively 

provided for U.S. Government 

customers. Though designed primarily 

for orbital launches, the Minotaur IV is 

also periodically used for suborbital 

missions. Most notably, the vehicle was 

used to deploy Hypersonic Technology 

Vehicles (HTV) for the Defense 

Advanced Research Projects Agency 

(DARPA). 

There are three versions of the Minotaur 

IV. The Minotaur IV Lite is a three-stage 

version used for suborbital missions. The 

Minotaur IV+ uses a more powerful Star48V upper stage instead of the Orion-38 

used by the standard Minotaur IV.

Minotaur IV missions are provided under 

the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP) 

managed by the U.S. Air Force Space 

and Missile Systems Center (SMC), 

Advanced Systems and Development 

Directorate, Rocket Systems Launch 

Program. 

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,600 (3,527)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,190 (2,624)

Mass, kg (lb)

86,300 (190,259)

Length, m (ft)

23.9 (78.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.3 (7.5)

Year of First Launch

2010

Number of Launches

3

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-46)

VAFB (SLC-8)

MARS (LP-0B)

PSCA (LP-1)

Estimated Price per Launch

$46M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur IV

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage 5th Stage

Stage designation SR-118 SR-119 SR-120 Orion-38 STAR-48V

Length, m (ft) 8.5 (27.9) 7.9 (25.9) 2.4 (7.9) 1.8 (5.8) 2 (6.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 1.2 (4.1) 1.2 (3.9)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

45,400

(100,090)

24,500

(54,013)

7,080

(15,609)

770

(1,698)

2,010

(4,431)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,607 

(361,000)

1,365 

(307,000)

329

(74,000)

34.8

(7,800)

64

(14,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 4.11 (13.5) 2.1 (6.7)

Minotaur IV Lite

Suborbital

Minotaur IV

Orion-38

as 4th Stage

Minotaur IV+

STAR-48V

as 4th Stage
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Orbital ATK is the manufacturer and 

launch service provider of the Minotaur V. 

The vehicle is used primarly for payloads 

destined for geosynchronous transfer 

orbit (GTO) or orbital trajectories to the 

Moon and beyond. The U.S. Government 

is the primary customer for this vehicle.

The first, second, and third stages of the 

Minotaur V are legacy systems - they are 

former Peacekeeper solid rocket motors 

re-purposed for orbital launch. Though 

the Minotaur V has flown only once, 

each Peacekeeper stage has a record 

fo 50 flights.

As of December 2015, the Minotaur V 

has only been used once. It successfully 

launched NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and 

Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) on 

September 7, 2013 from Virginia’s MidAtlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Minotaur V missions are provided under 

the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP) 

managed by the U.S. Air Force Space 

and Missile Systems Center (SMC), 

Advanced Systems and Development 

Directorate, Rocket Systems Launch 

Program. 

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

532 (1,173)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Mass, kg (lb)

89,373 (197,034)

Length, m (ft)

24.5 (80.6)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.3 (7.5)

Year of First Launch

2013

Number of Launches

1

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

VAFB (SLC-8)

MARS (LP-0B)

PSCA (LP-1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur V

Estimated Price per Launch

$55M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage 5th Stage

Stage designation SR-118 SR-119 SR-120 STAR-48V STAR-37FM/V

Length, m (ft) 8.5 (27.9) 7.9 (25.9) 2.4 (7.9) 2 (6.6) 1.7 (5.5)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 1.2 (3.9) 0.9 (3.1)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

45,400

(100,090)

24,500

(54,013)

7,080

(15,609)

2,010

(4,431)

1,066

(2,350)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,607 

(361,000)

1,365 

(307,000)

329

(74,000)

64

(14,000)

47.3

(10,633)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 4.11 (13.5) 2.1 (6.7)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur V

The Minotaur V with 

NASA’s LADEE 

probe poised for 

launch in 2015. 

Source: NASA
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Minotaur VI, offered by Orbital ATK, 

is derived from the Minotaur IV. The fivestage vehicle is essentially identical to 

the Minotaur IV, except that it features 

an additional SR-118 solid motor stage. 

The only new piece of hardware is the 

interstage assembly that separates the 

two SR-118 stages. 

The vehicle is designed to leverage flightproven hardware in the Minotaur IV and 

V vehicles, but adding additional low 

Earth orbit (LEO) capacity and increasing 

capability for geosynchronous transfer 

orbit (GTO) and Earth escape trajectories.

As of publication, no Minotaur VI vehicles 

have flown, and a contract for a Minotaur 

VI mission has not yet been signed.

Minotaur VI missions are provided under 

the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP) 

managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and 

Missile Systems Center (SMC), Advanced 

Systems and Development Directorate, 

Rocket Systems Launch Program. 

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

860 (1,896)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

2,600 (5,732)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

2,250 (4,960)

Mass, kg (lb)

89,373 (197,034)

Length, m (ft)

32.6 (107)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.3 (7.5)

Year of Planned First Launch

TBD

Launch sites

VAFB (SLC-8)

MARS (LP-0B)

PSCA (LP-1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur VI

Estimated Price per Launch

$60M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage 5th Stage

Stage designation SR-118 SR-118 SR-119 SR-120 STAR-48V

Length, m (ft) 8.5 (27.9) 8.5 (27.9) 7.9 (25.9) 2.4 (7.9) 2 (6.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 2.3 (7.5) 1.2 (3.9)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

45,400

(100,090)

45,400

(100,090)

24,500

(54,013)

7,080

(15,609)

2,010

(4,431)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,607 

(361,000)

1,607 

(361,000)

1,365 

(307,000)

329

(74,000)

64

(14,000)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 5.3 (17.4) 2 (0.6)

Large Fairing 5.3 (17.4) 2.5 (8.2)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur VI

Minotaur VI

Standard Fairing

Minotaur VI

Large Fairing

Though the 

Minotaur VI has 

been available to 

customers for a few 

years, none have 

flown. 
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Orbital ATK offers the four-stage small-class 

vehicle, Minotaur-C, as an option for satellite 

customers. The Minotaur-C is an upgraded 

version of the Taurus first introduced in 

1994 and developed under sponsorship of 

the Defense Advance Research Projects 

Agency (DARPA). Several variants of the 

Minotaur-C are available, allowing Orbital 

ATK to mix and match different stages and 

fairings to address customer needs.

The Minotaur-C launches from SLC-376E 

at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), 

though it may also be launched from SLC46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

(CCAFS) and Pad 0-B at Virginia’s MidAtlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS).

Skybox Imaging signed a contract with 

Orbital ATK in 2014 for the launch of six 

SkySat satellites on a single Minotaur-C. 

The launch is planned for 2016.

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,278-1,458 (2,814-3,214)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

912-1,054 (2,008-2,324)

Mass, kg (lb)

77,000 (170,000)

Length, m (ft)

32 (104)

Diameter, m (ft)

1.6 (5.2)

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-46)

VAFB (LC-576E)

MARS (LP-0B)

PSCA (LP-1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur-C

Estimated Price per Launch

$40M-$50M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Minotaur-C

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

2.3-Meter Fairing 1.6 (5.2) 2.3 (7.5)

1.6-Meter Fairing 2.2 (7.2) 1.6 (5.2)

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Option

3rd Stage

Option

4th Stage

Option

Stage designation Castor-120 Orion-50SXLG Orion-38 STAR-37 STAR-37

Length,

m (ft)

9.1

(29.9)

8.9

(29.2)

1.3

(4.3)

2.3

(7.5)

2.3

(7.5)

Diameter,

m (ft)

2.4

(7.9)

1.3

(4.3)

1

(3.3)

0.7

(2.3)

0.7

(2.3)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

48,960

(107,939)

15,023

(33,120)

770

(1,697)

1,066

(2,350)

1,066

(2,350)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,904

(428,120)

704

(157,729)

36

(8,062)

47.3

(10,625)

47.3

(10,625)

3110 Minotaur-C 3113 Minotaur-C 3210 Minotaur-C

The Minotaur-C 

is essentially and 

upgraded version 

of the flight proven 

Taurus vehicle 

once offered by 

Orbital Sciences 

Corporation (now 

Orbital ATK).
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Orbital ATK’s Pegasus 

XL is a small-class, airlaunched vehicle. Orbital 

ATK offers the Pegasus XL 

as a means to launch small 

satellites to low Earth orbits 

(LEO). 

The vehicle is derived 

from the first generation 

Standard Pegasus first 

launched in 1990. It is 

normally composed of three 

solid propellant stages 

manufactured by ATK, but it 

may also include an Orbitalbuilt Hydrazine Auxiliary 

Propulsion System (HAPS) 

as a fourth stage. The 

vehicle uses a 1.2-meter 

(3.9-foot) payload fairing. 

The first, second, and third 

stages are manufactured 

by ATK and include Orion50SXL, Orion-50XL, and 

Orion-38 motors, respectively. The Orion-50SXL is also 

integrated with a wing, enabling aerodynamic flight 

during the launch phase. The vehicle is air-launched 

from a Lockheed-built L-1011 aircraft.

The Pegasus XL has flown 26 consecutive successful 

missions since 1997, but did not fly in 2014 or 2015.

LEO capacity figures are for the Pegasus XL without a 

HAPS fourth stage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station 

(CCAFS). Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) figures are for the 

same vehicle configuration launched from Vandenberg Air 

Force Base (VAFB).

Launch service provider

Orbital ATK

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

450 (992)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

325 (717)

Mass, kg (lb)

23,130 (50,993)

Length, m (ft)

16.9 (55.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

1.3 (4.2)

Year of First Launch

1994

Number of Launches

32

Reliability

91%

Launch sites

CCAFS, Kwajalein,

VAFB, WFF

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Pegasus XL

Estimated Price per Launch

$40M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Pegasus XL

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation Orion-50SXL Orion-50XL Orion-38 HAPS

Length, m (ft) 10.27 (33.7) 3.1 (10.2) 1.3 (4.3) 0.7 (2.3)

Diameter, m (ft) 1.3 (4.3) 1.3 (4.3) 1 (3.3) 1 (3.3)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK Orbital ATK

Propellant Solid Solid Solid Hydrazine

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

15,014

(33,105)

3,925

(8,655)

770

(1,697)

73

(161)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

726

(163,247)

196

(44,171)

36

(8,062)

0.6

(135)

Engine(s) -- -- -- 3 x Rocket Engine 

Assemblies

Engine manufacturer -- -- -- Orbital ATK

Engine thrust,

kN (bf)

726

(163,247)

196

(44,171)

36

(8,062)

0.2

(45)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 2.1 (6.9) 1.2 (3.9)

Orbital ATK uses a 

modified L-1011 aircraft 

to carry and launch the 

Pegasus XL vehicle. 

The ground equipment 

necessary to launch the 

system is minimal, and 

the combination can be 

launched from almost any 

conventional runway.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Proton M is provided by 

International Launch Services (ILS) as 

a launch option for government and 

commercial operators of satellites in 

geosynchronous orbit. It is typically 

not used for missions to low Earth orbit 

(LEO).

The Proton M is built by the Khrunichev 

State Research and Production 

Space Center. The vehicle traces 

its lineage to the UR500 system 

developed by Vladimir Chelomei’s 

OKB-52 design bureau in 1965. The 

Proton was originally intended to 

send cosmonauts to the Moon until 

Soviet leadership selected Sergei 

Korolov’s N-1 vehicle instead. The 

Proton launched the Soviet Union’s 

Almaz (Salyut) and Mir space stations, 

and two modules of the International 

Space Station (ISS). 

Until December 2012, the Russian 

government used an earlier version 

of the Proton, often called the Proton 

K. It now uses the Proton M with 

either versions of the Block DM or 

the Breeze-M as the fourth stage 

or as a three-stage vehicle for LEO 

missions.

When introduced in 2001, the Proton 

M maintained a flawless record of 

13 launches before a failure was 

encountered in 2006. Since then, 

there has been a Proton M failure 

each year except in 2009. The 2014 

failure in May resulted in the loss of 

the Express AM4R satellite.

The Khrunichev-designed and built 

Angara series of vehicles is expected 

to gradually replace the Proton M 

beginning in 2015.

Launch service provider

VKS/Roscosmos/ILS

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

Khrunichev

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

6,920 (15,256)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

23,000 (50,706)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Mass, kg (lb)

712,800 (1,571,400)

Length, m (ft)

53 (173)

Diameter, m (ft)

7.4 (24)

Year of First Launch

2001

Number of Launches

86

Reliability

91%

Launch sites

Baikonur (LC-81, LC-200)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Proton M

Estimated Price per Launch

$65M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Proton M

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage Breeze-M

Length, m (ft) 21.2 (69.6) 17.1 (56.1) 4.1 (13.5) 2.7 (8.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 7.4 (24.3) 4.1 (13.5) 4.1 (13.5) 4 (13)

Manufacturer Khrunichev Khrunichev Khrunichev Khrunichev

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

428,300

(944,239)

157,300

(346,787)

46,562

(102,651)

19,800

(43,651)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

10,000

(2,248,089)

2,400

(539,541)

583

(131,063)

19.2

(4,411)

Engine(s) 6 x RD-276 3 x RD-0210 1 x RD-0123 1 x 14D30

Engine manufacturer NPO Energomash KB Khimavtomatika KB Khimavtomatika DB Khimmash

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,667

(374,682)

800

(179,847)

583

(131,063)

19.6

(4,411)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

PLF-BR-13305 Fairing 13.3 (43.6) 4.4 (14.4)

PLF-BR-15255 Fairing 15.3 (50.2) 4.4 (14.4)

A Proton M is poised from launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2014. Source: ILS
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Indian Space Research Organization 

(ISRO) has offered the Polar Satellite 

Launch Vehicle (PSLV) since 1993. 

The vehicle is used to launch small and 

medium payloads to low Earth orbit and, 

on occasion, to send small satellites to 

geosynchronous orbit. For missions to 

LEO, it is not uncommon for the PSLV to 

launch several satellites at a time.

The PSLV is available in three variants. 

The basic version is known as the PSLVCA, for “Core Alone.” The PSLV-G, or 

standard PSLV, is teh more common 

variant and features six solid strap-on 

motors attached to the first stage core. 

The PSLV-XL is similar to the standard 

PSLV, but the six solid boosters are longer 

to accomodate greater propellant mass 

and thus increasing buring time.

The PSLV has been used for four commercial 

launches. The latest was a 2014 launch 

that carried payloads for France (SPOT 

7), Canada (Can-X4 and X5), Germany 

(AISAT), and Singapore (VELOX-1). SPOT 

7 was sold to the government of Azerbaijan 

several moths later. 

Launch service provider

ISRO/Antrix

Organization Headquarters

India

Manufacturer

ISRO

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

1,425 (3,142)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,250 (7,165)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,750 (3,858)

Mass, kg (lb)

320,000 (705,479)

Length, m (ft)

44 (144)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.8 (9.2)

Year of First Launch

1993

Number of Launches

30

Reliability

97%

Launch sites

Satish Dhawan (FLP, SLP)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

PSLV

Estimated Price per Launch

$33M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

PSLV

PSLV-CA PSLV-G PSLV-XL

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

PSLV Fairing 8.3 (27.2) 3.2 (10.5)

Solid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage 

Stage designation PSOM PS1 PS2 PS3 PS4

Length, m (ft) G: 10 (32.8)

XL: 13.5 (44.3)

20.34

(66.7)

12.8

(42)

3.54

(11.6)

2.6

(8.5)

Diameter, m (ft) 1 (3.3) 2.8 (9.2) 2.8 (9.2) 2.02 (6.6) 2.02 (6.6)

Manufacturer ISRO ISRO ISRO ISRO ISRO

Propellant Solid Solid N2O4/UDMH Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

G: 9,000 (19,842)

XL: 12,000 (26,455)

138,000

(304,238)

40,700

(89,728)

6,700

(14,771)

2,000

(4,409)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

4,314

(969,828)

4,800

(1,079,082)

799

(179,622)

240

(53,954)

14.6

(3,282)

Engine(s) -- -- 1 x Vikas -- 2 x PS-4

Engine manufacturer -- -- ISRO -- ISRO

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

719

(161,638) 

4,800

(1,079,082)

799

(179,622)

240

(53,954)

7.3

(1,641)

Notable PSLV payloads 

include Chandrayaan-1, 

Mars Orbiter Mission 

(MOM), Space Capsule 

Recovery Experiment, 

and the Indian Regional 

Navigation Satellite System 

(IRNSS).

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The three-stage Rockot is developed 

using refurbished missile components. 

The missile used as the basis for the 

commercially available vehicle is the 

UR100N (SS-19) intercontinental ballistic 

missile (ICBM) built by Soviet-era OKB52. Production and launch of the Rockot 

is managed by Eurockot Launch Services 

GmbH, a joint company between Russia’s 

Khrunichev State Research and Production 

Space Center and EADS Astrium.

The Rockot consists of three stages. The first 

two stages are composed of SS-19 booster 

segments. The first stage is powered by 

an RD-244 engine and the second by an 

RD-235 engine. The third stage is a newly 

manufactured Khrunichev Breeze-KM 

upper stage. A payload adapter and fairing 

complete the vehicle system. 

Since 1990, the vehicle has launched 

24 times, with 2 failures. The first three 

launches were with the initial version, 

the Rockot-K. In May 2000, the vehicle 

was upgraded to accommodate a larger 

payload, it became the Rockot-KM, which 

has launched 21 times with 2 failures. 

The Rockot-KM launches from Plesetsk 

Kosmodrome in Russia.

The Rockot is predominantly used for 

scientific Earth observation and climate 

research missions in LEO. Eleven flights 

have been performed by Eurockot Launch 

Services for international customers. 

Rockot-KM currently has a backlog of 

commercial customers until 2015 and 

Russian government flights to the end of 

the decade. 

Launch service provider

VKS/Eurockot

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

Khrunichev

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,820-2,150 (4,012-4,740)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,180-1,600 (2,601-3,527)

Mass, kg (lb)

107,000 (235,895)

Length, m (ft)

29.2 (95.8)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.5 (8.2)

Year of First Launch

2000

Number of Launches

27

Reliability

93%

Launch sites

Plesetsk (LC-133)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Rockot

Estimated Price per Launch

$41.8M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Rockot

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage Breeze-KM

Length, m (ft) 17.2 (56.4) 3.9 (12.8) 2.5 (8.2)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.5 (8.2) 2.5 (8.2) 2.5 (8.2)

Manufacturer OKB-52

(Khrunichev)

OKB-52

(Khrunichev) Khrunichev

Propellant N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

71,455

(157,531)

10,710

(23,612)

4,975

(10,968)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,870

(420,393)

240

(53,954)

19.6

(4,406)

Engine(s) 3 x RD-0233

1 x RD-0234 1 x RD-235 1 x S5.98M

Engine manufacturer OKB-154

(KB Khimavtomatika)

OKB-154

(KB Khimavtomatika) Khrunichev

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

520

(116,901)

240

(53,954)

19.6

(4,406)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 2.6 (8.5) 2.5 (8.2)

A Rockot vehicle is 

launched from Plestesk 

Cosmodrome. Source: 

Eurockot
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Soyuz FG vehicle (11A511FG), 

introduced in 2001, is an improvement 

from the Soyuz U (11A511U) vehicle 

that was in service from 1973 to 

2015. The improvements focused 

mainly on upgrades to the RD-108 

and RD-107 engines. The vehicle 

still uses an analog control system, 

and it is anticipated that the vehicle 

will ultimately be replaced by the 

Soyuz 2 series, which has a digital 

control system.

The vehicle is used for crewed 

Soyuz missions to the International 

Space Station (ISS). It is also used to 

deliver the Progess cargo modules 

to ISS. The Soyuz FG can also be 

outfitted with a Fregat upper stage 

for certain missions; examples of 

missions using Fregat include Mars 

Express and some replenishments 

of the Globalstar constellation.

Launch service provider

VKS/Roscosmos

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

TsSKB Progress

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

7,800 (17,196)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

4,500 (9,921)

Mass, kg (lb)

305,000 (672,410)

Length, m (ft)

49.5 (162.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

10.3 (33.8)

Year of First Launch

2001

Number of Launches

49

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Baikonur (LC-1, LC-31)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz FG

Estimated Price per Launch

$50M-$213M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz FG

1st Stage 4 x Liquid 

Boosters 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation Core Stage 1st Stage 2nd Stage Fregat

Length, m (ft) 27.1 (88.9) 19.6 (64.3) 6.7 (22) 1.5 (4.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3 (9.8) 2.7 (8.9) 2.7 (8.9) 3.4 (11)

Manufacturer TsSKB-Progress TsSKB-Progress TsSKB-Progress NPO Lavochkin

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass, kg (lb) 90,100 (198,636) 39,160 (86,333) 25,400 (55,997) 5,350 (11,795)

Total thrust, kN (lbf) 838.5 (188,502) 792.5 (178,161) 297.9 (66,971) 19.6 (4,406)

Engine(s) 1 x RD-108A 1 x RD-107A 2.1a: 1 x RD-0110

2.1b: 1 x RD-0124 1 x S5.92

Engine manufacturer AO Motorostroitel AO Motorostroitel Voronyezh KB KhIMMASH

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

838.5

(188,502)

792.5

(178,161)

2.1a: 297.9 (66,971)

2.1b: 297.9 (66,971)

19.6

(4,406)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 11.4 (37.4) 4.1 (13.5)

Soyuz FG

Crewed

Soyuz FG

Progress

Soyuz FG

Fregat
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Soyuz 2 (also referred to as 

Soyuz ST) is used to launch satellites 

to virtually any orbit from three 

different launch sites. It can trace its 

lineage to the R-7 intercontinental 

ballistic missile designed by Sergei 

Korolov and his OKB-1 design 

bureau in the mid-1950s. 

The Soyuz received its current name 

when it was selected to launch 

crewed Soyuz spacecraft in 1966. 

Since that year, the R-7-derived 

vehicles have launched almost 1,800 

times. There have been several 

versions of the Soyuz, culminating 

with the Soyuz 2 currently providing 

commercial service. The older Soyuz 

FG version continues to launch 

Progress and Soyuz missions to 

the ISS. The Soyuz 2 is operated 

by Arianespace at the Guiana 

Space Center. Arianespace’s sister 

company, Starsem, manages Soyuz 

launches from Baikonur. 

Launch service provider

VKS/Arianespace/Starsem

Organization Headquarters

Russia/France

Manufacturer

TsSKB Progress

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,820-2,150 (4,012-4,740)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,180-1,600 (2,601-3,527)

Mass, kg (lb)

107,000 (235,895)

Length, m (ft)

29.2 (95.8)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.5 (8.2)

Year of First Launch

2000

Number of Launches

27

Reliability

93%

Launch sites

Plesetsk (LC-133)

Guiana Space Center (ELS)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz 2.1a/b

Estimated Price per Launch

$80M

The Soyuz 2 is manufactured 

by TsSKB-Progress at the 

Samara Space Center and 

NPO Lavotchkin (the upper 

stage). The vehicle consists 

of a core stage powered 

by an RD-108A, four liquid 

strap on boosters powered 

by RD-107A engines, a 

second stage powered 

by an RD-0124 engine, 

and a Lavotchkin Fregat 

upper stage powered by 

an S5.92 engine. A payload 

adapter and standard 

4-meter (13-foot) diameter 

fairing complete the vehicle 

system. TsSKB-Progress 

can produce about 20 Soyuz 

vehicles per year.

The Soyuz 2 variant has flown 

38 times, with three failures. The 

2014 failure, due to a fault in the 

Fregat upper stage, resulted in 

the loss of two Galileo navigation 

satellites.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz 2.1a/b

1st Stage 4 x Liquid 

Boosters 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation Core Stage 1st Stage 3rd Stage Fregat

Length, m (ft) 27.1 (88.9) 19.6 (64.3) 6.7 (22) 1.5 (4.9)

Diameter, m (ft) 3 (9.8) 2.7 (8.9) 2.7 (8.9) 3.4 (11.2)

Manufacturer TsSKB-Progress TsSKB-Progress TsSKB-Progress NPO Lavotchkin

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene N2O4/UDMH

Propellant mass, kg (lb) 90,100 (198,636) 39,160 (86,333) 25,400 (55,997) 6,638 (14,634)

Total thrust, kN (lbf) 838.5 (188,502) 792.5 (178,161) 297.9 (66,971) 19.9 (4,474)

Engine(s) 1 x RD-108A 1 x RD-107A 2.1a: 1 x RD-0110

2.1b: 1 x RD-0124 1 x S5.92

Engine manufacturer AO Motorostroitel AO Motorostroitel Voronyezh NPO Lavotchkin

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) 838.5 (188,502) 792.5 (178,161) 2.1a: 297.9 (66,971)2.1b: 297.9 (66,971) 19.9 (4,474)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 11.4 (37.4) 4.1 (13.5)

A Soyuz 2.1b launches two Galileo navigation satellites from the Guiana Space Center in 

2015. Source: Arianespace
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Soyuz 2.1v (formerly described as 

the Soyuz 1) is similar to the Soyuz, but 

without the liquid strap-on boosters. 

The first stage diamter is 2.7 m, compared 

to 2 m of a Soyuz. It is powered by a single 

engine, a modified version of the NK-33 

once designated for use on the N-1 lunar 

rocket from the 1970s. In the long-term, 

the first stage will be powered by the RD191 manufactured by NPO Enrgomash. 

The second stage is the same as that 

used for the Soyuz 2.1a/b. 

A Volga upper stage may be employed for 

certain missions, such as insertion in orbits 

as high as 1,500 km (932 mi) in altitude.

The vehicle was originally conceived 

as a replacement for the small-class 

Rockot. It is expected to be available for 

launch from Russia’s newest launch site, 

Vostochny, sometime after 2018.

The second launch of the Soyuz 2.1v, 

which took place in December 2015, 

is considered a success. According to 

Russian press reports, the Kanopus Earth 

observing satellite failed shortly after 

separation from the vehilce’s upper stage.

Launch service provider

VKS/Roscosmos

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

TsSKB Progress

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,000 (6,614)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,400 (3,086)

Mass, kg (lb)

157,000 (346,126)

Length, m (ft)

44 (144)

Diameter, m (ft)

2.95 (9.7)

Year of First Launch

2013

Number of Launches

2

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Baikonur (LC-31 or LC-6)

Plesetsk (LC-43)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz 2.1v

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Soyuz 2.1v

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage Volga

Length, m (ft) 27.8 (91.2) 6.7 (22) 1.03 (3.4)

Diameter, m (ft) 2.95 (9.7) 2.7 (8.9) 3.1 (10.2)

Manufacturer TsSKB Progress TsSKB Progress TsSKB Progress

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene UDMH

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

119,700

(263,893)

25,400

(55,997)

900

(1,984)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,510

(339,462)

297.9

(66,971)

2.94

(661)

Engine(s) 1 x 14D15 (NK-33) 1 x RD-0124 1 x main engine

Engine manufacturer NK Engines Company Voronyezh TsSKB Progress

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,510

(339,462)

297.9

(66,971)

2.94

(661)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 7.7 (25.3) 3.7 (12.1)

A Soyuz 2.1v is prepared for launch in December 2015. The launch, carrying a Kanopus 

remote sensing satellite, did not go entirely as planned - the payload did not fully separate 

from the upper stage due to a second stage latching problem. Source: Russian MoD
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Sub Orbital Aircraft Reusable, or SOAR, is a 

vehicle currently under development by Swiss Space 

Systems (S3) and its partners the European Space 

Agency (ESA), Kuznetsov NK Engines Company, 

RKK Energia, Thales Alenia Space, Dassault Aviation, 

and the Von Karman Institute. Dassault Aviation was 

previously involved with ESA’s HERMES spaceplane 

project (1987 to 1992). The vehicle is intended as 

both a suborbital platform and a system for deploying 

small satellites. It is an air-launched vehicle designed 

to be released from an Airbus A300. The initial design 

features autonomous control capability, but in 2013, S3 

announced its intention to produce a piloted version 

of the vehicle that may also be capable of carrying 

spaceflight participants. 

The NK-39 engine being used to power the vehicle 

was scheduled for ground testing in late 2015, followed 

by an air drop test of a scaled-down version of SOAR 

sometime in 2016.

The company has an agreement with Space Florida 

to use the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space 

Center (KSC) for operations, which are expected to 

commence in 2018 with scheduled deployment of 

Launch service provider

Swiss Space Systems

Organization Headquarters

Switzerland

Manufacturer

Swiss Space Systems

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

250 (551.2)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

Undisclosed

Mass, kg (lb)

109,500 (241,406)

Length, m (ft)

53.6 (175.9)

Wingspan, m (ft)

44.8 (147)

Year of Planned First Launch

2018

Launch sites

KSC (Runaway)

Payerne (Switzerland)

Udbina (Croatia)

Ras Al Khaimah (UAE)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

SOAR

Estimated Price per Launch

$10.5M

CleanSpace One, a 30 kg (66 

lb) satellite. S3 is also planning 

to fly SOAR from the United Arab 

Emirates. 

Dimensions for SOAR include the 

Airbus A300 carrier aircraft.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

SOAR

1st Stage 2nd Stage

Stage designation Airbus A300 SOAR

Length, m (ft) 53.6 (175.9) Undisclosed

Wingspan/Diameter, m (ft) 44.8 (147) Undisclosed

Manufacturer Airbus Swiss Space Systems

Propellant Kerosene (Jet-A1) LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

50,449

(111,220) Undisclosed

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

547.2

(123,016)

1,608

(361,493)

Engine(s) 2 x CF6-50C2 4 x NK-39

Engine manufacturer General Electric NK Engines Company

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

273.6

(61,500)

402

(90,373)

An artist’s impression of SOAR and its Airbus A300 carrier aircraft in flight. Source: Swiss 

Space Systems
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Space Launch System (SLS) 

is a launch vehicle system being 

developed by NASA for the next 

era of human exploration beyond 

Earth’s orbit. The vehicle will be 

used to send crews of up to four 

astronauts in an Orion spacecraft, 

cargo, or large robotic scientific 

missions to Mars, Saturn and 

Jupiter. Boeing is the prime 

contractor for SLS. Orbital ATK will 

provide the solid rocket boosters 

(SRB), United Launch Alliance 

(ULA) will provide the Interim 

Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), 

and Aerojet Rocketdyne is the 

provider of liquid rocket engines. 

SLS is designed to evolve into 

increasingly more powerful 

configurations using the same 

core stage throughout. The first 

SLS vehicle, called Block 1, has 

a maximum capacity of 70,000 

kg (154,323 lb) to low Earth orbit 

(LEO). It will be powered by four RS25 engines and two five-segment 

SRBs and include a modified 

version of an existing upper stage. 

The next versions, the Block 1B, 

will use a new, more powerful 

Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) to 

deliver 105,000 kg (231,485 lb) to 

LEO. A later evolution, the Block 

2, would replace the SRBs with 

a pair of advanced solid or liquid 

propellant boosters to provide 

a LEO capacity of 130,000 kg 

(286,601 lb).

Two missions are envisioned for 

the SLS Block 1, including an 

uncrewed test of Orion in 2018 

(EM-1) and a crewed mission to the 

vicinity of the Moon in 2021 (EM-2). 

Launch service provider

NASA

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Boeing/ULA/Orbital ATK

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

70,000-130,000

(154,324-286,601)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Mass, kg (lb)

2,650,000 (5,842,250)

Length, m (ft)

111.3 (365)

Diameter, m (ft)

8.4 (27.8)

Year of Planned First Launch

2018

Launch sites

KSC (LC-39B)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Space Launch System

Estimated Price per Launch

N/A

The SLS Block 1B will be used to 

send astronauts and equipment 

on increasingly complex mission 

in cislunar space. Finally, the SLS 

Block 2 will be used for crewed 

missions to Mars by the 2030s. 
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Space Launch System

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 12.5 (41) 8.4 (27.6)

Large Fairing 25 (82) 8.4 (27.6)

Solid Boosters* 1st Stage 2nd Stage Option 2nd Stage Option

Stage designation SRB 1st Stage Interim Cryogenic 

Propulsion Stage

Exploration Upper 

Stage

Length, m (ft) 53.9 (177) 64.6 (212) 13.7 (45) 23 (75.5)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.7 (12) 8.4 (27.6) 5 (16.4) 8.4 (27.8)

Manufacturer Orbital ATK Boeing ULA Boeing

Propellant Solid LOX/H2 LOX/H2 LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

631,495

(1,392,208)

894,181

(1,971,332)

26,853

(59,201)

206,020

(454,196)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

16,014

(3,600,000)

1,859

(418,000)

110

(24,751)

110

(24,751)

Engine(s) -- 4 x RS-25E 1 x RL10B-2 4 x RL10B-2

Engine manufacturer -- Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- 7,436(1,671,679)

110

(24,751)

440

(98,916)

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.

A NASA diagram showing the evolution of the Space Launch System. Source: NASA
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Stratolaunch is a system under development 

by Stratolaunch Systems and funded by 

owning company Vulcan Aerospace. The 

system will employ the largest airplane ever 

built to be a carrier vehicle for an orbital 

rocket. Initial plans called for a twin-boom 

Boeing 747, but this has been replaced with 

an original design by Scaled Composites. 

The original launch vehicle considered was 

a SpaceX Falcon 5, but SpaceX withdrew 

its association to focus on its various 

projects. The replacement, variously 

called Thunderbolt or Pegasus II, was to 

be provided by orbital ATK. This, too, has 

been tabled in favor of a new vehicle, and 

Launch service provider

Stratolaunch Systems

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

Scaled Composites/Dynetics

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

3,000 (6,614)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,400 (3,086)

Mass, kg (lb)

TBD

Length, m (ft)

70.6 (231.6) est

Wingspan, m (ft)

117 (383.9) est

Year of Planned First Launch

2016

Launch sites

Mojave Air and Space Port

KSC (Runaway)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Stratolaunch

Estimated Price per Launch

Undisclosed

as of December 2015 this has not been 

defined publicly. Stratolaunch Systems is 

also reportedly working with Sierra Nevada 

Corporation (SNC) to consider plans for 

deploying SNC’s Dream Chaser from the 

carrier aircraft.

A test flight of the carrier aircraft is planned 

for late 2016 from Mojave Air and Space 

Port in California.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Stratolaunch

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation StratoLauncher TBD TBD

Length, m (ft) 70.6 (231.6) est TBD TBD

Wingspan/Diameter, m (ft) 117 (383.9) est TBD TBD

Manufacturer Boeing/Scaled 

Composites/Dynetics TBD TBD

Propellant Kerosene (JP-4) LOX/LH2 TBD

Propellant mass,

kg (lb) Undisclosed TBD TBD

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,616

(588,100)

212.6

(47,794) TBD

Engine(s) 6 x PW4056 2 x RL10C-1 TBD

Engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Aerojet Rocketdyne TBD

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

436

(98,017)

106.3

(23,897) TBD

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing TBD TBD

The Stratolaunch system takes shape in the construction hangar located at Mojave Air and 

Space Port. Source: Stratolaunch Systems
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Department of Defence’s 

Operationally Responsive Space 

(ORS) Office, with support from 

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), 

Aerojet Rocketdyne, the University of 

Hawaii, and NASA’s Ames Research 

Center, developed a small launch 

vehicle called Super Strypi. The goal 

is to deliver payloads in the range of 

300 kilograms (661 pounds) to low 

Earth orbit (LEO). 

The three-stage all-solid vehicle 

is based on the 1960s-era Strypi 

test missile. Aerojet Rocketdyne 

developed three new solid rocket 

motors that support the Super Strypi 

launch system. The first stage is the 

LEO-46, second stage is the LEO-7 

and the third stage is the LEO-1.

The rail-launched Super Strypi, 

sometimes also refered to as the 

Spaceborne Payload Assist Rocket 

Kauai (SPARK), made its inaugural 

flight in November 2015 from the 

Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) 

at Barking Sands in Hawaii. The Air 

Force-sponsored mission, called 

ORS-4, was lsot following failure of 

the first stage. 

The vehicle was designed to be 

compatible with other launch 

sites, such as, but not limited to, 

Space Florida’s Cape Canaveral 

Spaceport, Kodiak Launch

 Complex in Alaska, and NASA’s

 WFF. Future launches of Super

 Strypi appear unlikely.

Launch service provider

ORS Office

Sandia National Laboratory

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

ORS Office

Sandia National Laboratory

Aerojet Rocketdyne

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

320 (705)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

275 (606)

Mass, kg (lb)

505,846 (1,155,200)

Length, m (ft)

68.4 (224.4)

Diameter, m (ft)

3.7 (12)

Year of First Launch

2015

Number of Launches

1

Reliability

0%

Launch sites

PMRF (Pad 41)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Super Strypi

Estimated Price per Launch

TBD
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Super Strypi

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation LEO-46 LEO-7 LEO-1

Length, m (ft) 11.3 (37) 2.7 (9) 1.5 (5)

Diameter, m (ft) 1.5 (5) 1.5 (5) 1.5 (5)

Manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne Aerojet Rocketdyne

Propellant Solid Solid Solid

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

20,413

(45,004)

3,233

(7,128)

643

(1,417)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

1,265

(284,470)

195

(43,865)

50

(11,234)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 1.5 (5) 1.5 (5)

The Super Strypi vehicle 

installed on its launcher rail 

system at PMRF in Hawaii. 

The inaugural launch on 

November 3, 2015 ended 

with a first stage booster 

failure. Source: U.S. Air 

Force
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Vega launch vehicle, named after 

the second brightest star in the northern 

hemisphere, is operated by Arianespace 

and targets payloads to polar and low 

Earth orbits used by scientific and Earth 

observation satellites. 

Development of the Vega began in 2003 

led by the European Space Agency 

with contributions from the Italian space 

agency, the French space agency, and 

Italy-based Avio. 

The Vega consists of four stages: a first 

stage P80 solid motor, a second stage 

Zefiro-23 solid motor, a third stage Zefiro-9 

solid motor, and a liquid-fueled fourth 

stage called the Attitude and Vernier 

Upper Module (AVUM). The AVUM, 

powered by the RD-869, is produced by 

Yuzhnoye in the Ukraine. The payload 

adapter is affixed to the fourth stage and 

covered in a fairing during launch.

In December 2014, the European Space 

Agency agreed to pursue a replacement 

for the first stage called P120C, which 

will power an upgraded vehicle called 

Vega-C. The P120C will also serve as a 

strap-on booster for the Ariane 6 vehicle 

expected to be introduced in 2020. The 

inaugural flight of the Vega-C is planned 

for 2018.

Launch service provider

Arianespace

Organization Headquarters

France

Manufacturer

ELV SpA

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

1,963 (4,328)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

1,430 (3,153)

Mass, kg (lb)

133,770 (294,912)

Length, m (ft)

29.9 (98.1)

Diameter, m (ft)

3 (9.8)

Year of First Launch

2012

Number of Launches

6

Reliability

100%

Launch sites

Guiana Space Center (ZLA)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Vega

Estimated Price per Launch

$37M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Vega

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage 4th Stage

Stage designation P80FW Zefiro 23 Zefiro 9 AVUM

Length, m (ft) 11.2 (36.7) 8.4 (27.6) 4.1 (13.5) 2 (6.6)

Diameter, m (ft) 3 (9.8) 1.9 (6.2) 1.9 (6.2) 2.2 (7.2)

Manufacturer Europropulsion Avio Avio Avio

Propellant Solid Solid Solid N2O4 (UDMH)

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

88,365

(194,811)

23,906

(52,704)

10,115

(22,300)

367

(809)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

2,261

(508,293)

1,196

(268,871)

225

(50,582)

2.5

(562)

Engine(s) -- -- -- 1 x RD-869

Engine manufacturer -- -- -- Yuzhnoye

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- -- -- 2.5(562)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 7.9 (25.9) 2.6 (8.5)

The second Vega mission, 

carrying the European 

Space Agency’s (ESA) 

Proba-V and Vietnam’s 

VNREDSat-1A, is prepared 

for launch from the Guiana 

Space Center in 2013. 

Source: Arianespace
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Vulcan family of launch vehicles 

was introduced by United Launch 

Alliance (ULA) in 2015 as an eventual 

replacement for the company’s Atlas V 

and Delta IV. Formerly called the Next 

Generation Launch System (NGLS), the 

vehicle is expected to be introduced in 

2019.

Leveraging technologies and processes 

from the Atlas V and Delta IV programs 

since 2002, and even earlier in terms 

of research and development time, 

the Vulcan will nevertheless feature a 

couple of unique capabilities. First is the 

use of a liquid oxygen (LOX)-liquified 

natural gas (LNG, or methane) engine 

called the BE-4. The BE-4, provided by 

Blue Origin, will power the vehicle’s first 

stage. ULA is developing the capability 

to reuse the BE-4. Once the first stage is 

spent, the BE-4 subsystem will separate 

from the stage, deploy a reentry shield, 

deploy a parachute, and be recovered 

by an aircraft. The second is planned 

use of the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved 

Stage (ACES) as an upper stage, which 

will dramatically increase the vehicle’s 

capacity to orbit. In addition, ACES, 

which will burn a LOX-liquid hydrogen 

mix, will be capable of remaining onorbit for future use, allowing for a 

“distributed launch” capability. Until it is 

introduced in 2023, the Vulcan will use 

the proven Centaur upper stage.

The deployment strategy will take place 

in phases. First, the Delta IV Medium 

vehicles will be retired in 2018, except 

for the Delta IV Heavy. The first launch 

of Vulcan is expected in 2019. It will 

fly concurrently with the Atlas V for an 

undisclosed period of time. The Delta 

IV Heavy and the Atlas V will be retired 

following successful deployment of the 

Vulcan-ACES combination in 2023.

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Vulcan

Launch service provider

ULA

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

ULA

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

4,750-8,900 (10,472-19,621)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

9,370-18,510 (20,657-40,510)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

7,724-15,179 (17,029-33,464)

Mass, kg (lb)

432,000-1,280,000

(952,397-2,821,917) est

Length, m (ft)

58.3-63 (191-207) est

Diameter, m (ft)

3.8 (12.5)

Year of Planned First Launch

2019

Launch sites

CCAFS (SLC-41)

VAFB (SLC-3E)

Estimated Price per Launch

$85M-$260M

The ACES upper stage is 

currently under development. 

The final design and selection 

of an engine provider has not 

yet been decided.
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Vulcan

Vulcan

401

Atlas V

500

Vulcan

402

Vulcan

403

SRB* 1st Stage 2nd Stage 

Option

2nd Stage 

Option

2nd Stage 

Option

Stage designation GEM-63XL 1st Stage Single Engine 

Centaur

Dual Engine 

Centaur ACES

Length, m (ft) 19.2 (63) est 32.5 (106.6) est 12.7 (41.7) 12.7 (41.7) TBD

Diameter, m (ft) 1.6 (5.3) 5.1 (16.7) est 3.1 (10.2) 3.1 (10.2) 5.1 (16.7) est

Manufacturer Orbital ATK ULA ULA ULA ULA

Propellant Solid LOX/CH4 LOX/LH2 LOX/LH2 LOX/H2

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

46,300

(102,074) est

368,000

(811,301) est

20,830

(45,922)

20,830

(45,922)

63,500

(139,994) est

Total thrust, kN (lbf) 1,833

(412,075) est

4,800

(1,079,083)

99.2

(22,300)

198.4

(44,600)

431

(96,893) est

Engine(s) -- 2 x BE-4 1 x RL10A-4-2 2 x RL10A-4-2 TBD

Engine manufacturer -- Blue Origin Aerojet 

Rocketdyne

Aerojet 

Rocketdyne TBD

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf) -- 2,400(550,000)

99.2

(22,300)

99.2

(22,300) TBD

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

4m Large Payload Fairing 12 (39.3) 4 (13)

4m Extended Payload Fairing 12.9 (42.3) 4 (13)

4m Extra Extended Payload Fairing 13.8 (45.3) 4 (13)

5m Large Payload Fairing 20.7 (68) 5 (16.4)

5m Extended Payload Fairing 23.5 (77) 5 (16.4)

5m Extra Extended Payload Fairing 26.5 (87) 5 (16.4)

Atlas V

501

Atlas V

502

Atlas V

503

Atlas V

504

Vulcan

400

Atlas V

505

Atlas V

506

The Vulcan will feature 

a core stage and a 

combination of up to six 

solid rocket boosters, 

two Centaur upper stage 

options (and later ACES), 

and a 4- or 5-meter fairing. 

There will be five versions 

of the 400 series and seven 

versions of the 500 series.

Vulcan

404

* Figures are for each booster. Total thrust is sum of all boosters.
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

In 2013, the Defense Advanced Research Projects 

Agency (DARPA) announced it is pursuing development 

of a reusable spaceplan concept called Experimental 

Spaceplane-1 (XS-1). The primary objective of this 

program is to produce a vehicle capable of sending 

2,267 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO). The XS-1 is being 

designed to handle a launch rate of 10 missions within 

ten days, with each launch costing about $5M.

DARPA selected three teams in 2014 to compete for 

the final development and manufacturing contract. 

The teams included Northrop Grumman (with Scaled 

Composites and Virgin Galactic), Masten Space 

Systems (with XCOR Aerospace), and Boeing (with Blue 

Origin). In August 2015, each company was awarded 

$6.5M under what is called Phase 1, in which XS-1 

designs are matured further to include demonstration 

tasks. Completion of these tasks is expected in 2016. 

DARPA plans to select one of the three teams to move 

on to Phase 2 sometime in late 2016.

Test flights of the XS-1 are expected in 2018, with 

operational flights projected to begin in 2020.

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

XS-1

Launch service provider

DARPA

Organization Headquarters

USA

Manufacturer

TBD

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

2,267 (4,998)

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

TBD

Mass, kg (lb)

TBD

Length, m (ft)

TBD

Diameter, m (ft)

TBD

Year of Planned First Launch

2018

Launch sites

TBD

Estimated Price per Launch

$5M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

XS-1

Masten Space Systems has been working on vertical 

takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) technologies for about 

a decade. This effort has lead to the development 

of several test vehicles, including Xombie, Xoie, and 

Xaero. On several occassions, these systems have 

met DARPA’s 10 flights within 10 days objective. 

Masten is developing the XS-1 design, including 

guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems. It’s 

partner XCOR Aerospace is focusing on propulsion. 

Source: Masten Space Systems

Northrop Grumman’s subsidiary, 

Scaled Composites, is developing this 

team’s XS-1 concept. The concept 

includes a clean-pad approach using 

a transporter erector launcher with 

minimal infrastructure and ground crews, 

highly autonomous flight operations, 

and horizontal landing and recovery on 

standard runways. Virgin Galactic would 

manage operational missions. Source: 

Northrop Grumman

Boeing is the lead on the development 

of this team’s XS-1 concept. Boeing 

is leveraging its extensive spaceflight 

experience, perhaps with emphasis on 

its X-37B spaceplane, which is owned 

and operated by the U.S. Air Force. Its 

concept is to deploy the XS-1 via an 

aircraft. The spaceplane would then 

deploy the payload and return to Earth as 

an airplane. Blue Origin is focusing on the 

propulsion system. Source: Boeing
FAA AST

FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

The Zenit 3SL can be traced to the 1980s when 

the Soviet government pursued a system that 

could be used as both a booster for the Energia 

launch vehicle and as a stand-alone vehicle. 

The first-generation Zenit 2 was introduced in 

1985 and has been launched 37 times. The Zenit 

3SL represents a second generation vehicle. 

It is provided by Sea Launch, a conglomerate 

entity with four major component providers: 

RSC Energia, PA Yuzhmash/Yuzhnoye, Aker 

Solutions, and Boeing.

The Zenit 3SL is a three-stage vehicle. 

Yuzhnoye provides both the first and second 

stages, which are powered by the RD-171M 

and the RD-120 engines, respectively. A 

specially modified Block-DM third stage is 

supplied by S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space 

Corporation Energia (RKK Energia). Boeing 

provides the payload fairing. 

The Zenit 3SLB is a modernized version 

of the earlier generation of the two-stage 

Zenit featuring a Block-DM third stage, but 

marketed by Land Launch, a subsidiary of 

Sea Launch. Land Launch also includes the 

Zenit 2SLB, which is essentially the same as 

the Zenit 3SLB but without a third stage.

Due to increasing political tensions between 

Russia and Ukraine during 2014, and the 

resulting international sanctions against 

Russia, PA Yushmash, a key supplier of 

missiles and other hardware to the Russian 

military, has experienced considerable 

financial difficulties that may impact its 

product line. 

Launch service provider

VKS/Sea Launch AG

Organization Headquarters

Russia

Manufacturer

PA Yuzhmash

GTO capacity, kg (lb)

3SL: 6,160 (13,580)

3SLB: 3,750 (8,267)

LEO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

SSO capacity, kg (lb)

N/A

Mass, kg (lb)

470,000 (1,036,173)

Length, m (ft)

59 (193.6) 

Diameter, m (ft)

3.9 (12.8)

Year of First Launch

1985

Number of Launches

83

Reliability

88%

Launch sites

3SL: Pacific Ocean/Odyssey

2/3F/3SLB: Baikonur (LC-45/1)

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Zenit

Estimated Price per Launch

$85M-$95M
FAA AST

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation

800 Independence Avenue SW (AST)

Washington, DC 20591

202.267.5450 (fax)

http://www.faa.gov/go/ast

Detailed information can be found in the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space 

Transportation(www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/reports_studies/).

Data is maintained in FAA AST’s Space Transportation Analysis and Research (STAR) 

database.

Publication produced for FAA AST by The Tauri Group under contract. 

Launch Vehicle Fact Sheet

Zenit

1st Stage 2nd Stage 3rd Stage

Stage designation 1st Stage 2nd Stage Block DM-SL

Length, m (ft) 32.9 (108) 10.4 (34) 4.9 (16.1)

Diameter, m (ft) 3.9 (12.8) 3.9 (12.8) 3.7 (12.1)

Manufacturer Yuzhnoye Yuzhnoye RSC Energia

Propellant LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene LOX/Kerosene

Propellant mass,

kg (lb)

322,280

(710,505)

81,740

(180,205)

15,850

(34,943)

Total thrust,

kN (lbf)

7,256

(1,631,421)

992

(223,026)

79.5

(17,864)

Engine(s) 1 x RD-171M 1 x RD-120

1 x RD-8 1 x 11D58M

Engine manufacturer NPO Energomash NPO Energomash RSC Energia

Engine thrust,

kN (lbf)

7,117

(1,631,421)

RD-120: 912 (205,026)

RD-8: 80 (18,000)

79.5

(17,864)

Fairing Length, m (ft) Diameter, m (ft)

Standard Fairing 11.39 (37.4) 3.9 (12.8)

Zenit 2 Zenit 3F Zenit 3SL Zenit 3SLB

The Zenit 3SL 

and Zenit 3SLB 

are provided 

commercially. The 

Zenit 2 was used 

for government 

missions, and has 

since retired. The 

Zenit 3F was used 

for a short period of 

time for government 

missions beginning 

in 2011.

The Zenit vehicles, 

which are built in 

Ukraine, appear 

unlikely to fly again.