A reusable launch vehicle has parts that can be recovered and reflown,while carrying payloads from the surface to outer space. Rocket stages are the most common launch vehicle parts aimed for reuse. Smaller parts such as rocket engines and boosters can also be reused,though reusable spacecraft may be launched on top of an expendable launch vehicle. Reusable launch vehicles do not need to make these parts for each launch,therefore reducing its launch cost significantly. However,these benefits are diminished by the cost of recovery and refurbishment.
The Thor-Able was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket used for a series of re-entry vehicle tests and satellite launches between 1958 and 1960.
A launch vehicle is typically a rocket-powered vehicle designed to carry a payload from Earth's surface or lower atmosphere to outer space. The most common form is the ballistic missile-shaped multistage rocket,but the term is more general and also encompasses vehicles like the Space Shuttle. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad,supported by a launch control center and systems such as vehicle assembly and fueling. Launch vehicles are engineered with advanced aerodynamics and technologies,which contribute to high operating costs.
The Scout family of rockets were American launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages. It was also the only vehicle of that type until the successful launch of the Japanese Lambda 4S in 1970.
The Kosmos rockets were a series of Soviet and subsequently Russian rockets,derived from the R-12 and R-14 missiles,the best known of which is the Kosmos-3M,which has made over 440 launches. The Kosmos family contained a number of rockets,both carrier rockets and sounding rockets,for orbital and sub-orbital spaceflight respectively. The first variant,the Kosmos-2I,first flew on 27 October 1961. Over 700 Kosmos rockets have been launched overall.
The Minotaur is a family of United States solid fuel launch vehicles derived from converted Minuteman and Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). They are built by Northrop Grumman via contract with the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center's Space Development and Test Directorate (SMC/SD) as part of the Air Force's Rocket Systems Launch Program which converts retired Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles into space and test launch systems for U.S. government agencies.
This comparison of orbital launch systems lists the attributes of all individual rocket configurations designed to reach orbit. A first list contains rockets that are operational or in development as of 2023;a second list includes all upcoming rockets and a third list includes all retired rockets. For the simple list of all conventional launcher families,see:Comparison of orbital launchers families. For the list of predominantly solid-fueled orbital launch systems,see:Comparison of solid-fueled orbital launch systems.
Scout X-2 was an American expendable launch system and sounding rocket which was flown twice in 1962. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-1,uprated first and third stages. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
The NOTS-EV-2 Caleb,also known as NOTS-500,Hi-Hoe and SIP was an expendable launch system,which was later used as a sounding rocket and prototype anti-satellite weapon. It was developed by the United States Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) as a follow-up to the NOTS-EV-1 Pilot,which had been abandoned following ten launches officially classified as failed missions. Two were launched in July and October 1960,before the cancellation of the project. Following cancellation,two leftover Calebs were used in the Satellite Interceptor Program (SIP),while three more were used as sounding rockets,under the designation Hi-Hoe. These derivatives flew until July 1962,when the Hi-Hoe made its final flight.
The RM-90 Blue Scout II was an American sounding rocket and expendable launch system which was flown three times during 1961. It was used for two HETS test flights,and the launch of the Mercury-Scout 1 satellite for NASA. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
The RM-89 Blue Scout I was an American sounding rocket which was flown four times between January 1961 and April 1962. It was used for two HETS test flights,and a flight to investigate atmospheric re-entry. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
Scout X-1A was an American sounding rocket which was flown in 1962. It was a five-stage derivative of the earlier Scout X-1,with an uprated first stage,and a NOTS-17 upper stage.
Scout X-2M was an American expendable launch system which was flown three times between May 1962 and April 1963. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-2,but with an MG-18 upper stage instead of the Altair used on the X-2. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
The Scout X-2B was an American expendable launch system which was flown during 1963. It was a four-stage rocket,based on the earlier Scout X-2,but with an Altair 2A fourth stage in place of the Altair 1A used on the X-2. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.
Explorer 9,known as S-56A before launch,was a NASA satellite which was launched in February 1961 to study the density and composition of the upper thermosphere and lower exosphere. It was a reflight of the failed Explorer S-56 mission,and consisted of a 7 kg (15 lb),3.66 m (12.0 ft) balloon which was deployed into a medium Earth orbit. The mission was conducted by NASA's Langley Research Center.
The Algol family of solid-fuel rocket stages and boosters is built by Aerojet and used on a variety of launch vehicles. It was developed by Aerojet from the earlier Jupiter Senior and the Navy Polaris programs. Upgrades to the Algol motor occurred from 1960 until the retirement of the Scout launch vehicle in 1994.
Electron is a two-stage,partially reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab,an American aerospace company with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. Electron was developed to service the commercial small satellite launch market. As of May 2024,it’s the third most launched small-lift launch vehicle in history. Its Rutherford engines are the first electric-pump-fed engine to power an orbital-class rocket. Electron is often flown with a kickstage or Rocket Lab's Photon spacecraft. Although the rocket was designed to be expendable,Rocket Lab has recovered the first stage twice and is working towards the capability of reusing the booster. The Flight 26 (F26) booster has featured the first helicopter catch recovery attempt.
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) or less or under 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medium-lift launch vehicles.
Explorer S-56 was a NASA satellite launched on 4 December 1960,at 21:14 GMT as part of the Explorer program. The satellite was composed of a 3.66 m (12.0 ft) diameter inflatable sphere,and was intended to study the density of the upper atmosphere. The Scout X-1 rocket used to launch Explorer S-56 failed in flight,and the satellite never reached orbit.
Landmapper is a remote sensing satellite constellation built and operated by Astro Digital. It consists of two separate satellite designs:Landmapper-BC and Landmapper-HD. These satellites will be launched into Sun synchronous orbits varying in altitude between 625 km and 475 km. Both satellites are designed to CubeSat standards:6U XL for Landmapper-BC,and 16U for Landmapper-HD. They will be contained in deployers designed by Innovative Solutions in Launch of the Netherlands and ECM Launch Services of Germany. These deployers are to be included on board a variety of launch vehicles,including the SpaceX Falcon 9,Rocket Lab Electron,Glavkosmos Soyuz,Antrix PSLV,and European Space Agency Vega.
