Comparison of orbital launcher families

This article compares different orbital launcher families (launchers which are significantly different from other members of the same 'family' have separate entries). The article is organized into two tables: the first contains a list of currently active and under-development launcher families, while the second contains a list of retired launcher families.

The related article "Comparison of orbital launch systems" lists each individual launcher system within any given launcher family, categorized by its current operational status.

This article does not include suborbital launches (i.e. flights which were not intended to reach LEO or VLEO).

Description

  • Family: Name of the family/model of launcher
  • Country: Origin country of launcher
  • Manufac.: Main manufacturer
  • Payload: Maximum mass of payload, for 3 altitudes
    • LEO, low Earth orbit
    • GTO, geostationary transfer orbit
    • TLI, trans-Lunar injection
  • Cost: Price for a launch at this time, in millions of US$
  • Launches reaching...
    • Total: Flights which lift-off, or where the vehicle is destroyed during the terminal count
      Note: only includes orbital launches (flights launched with the intention of reaching orbit). Suborbital tests launches are not included in this listing.
    • Space (regardless of outcome): Flights which reach approximately 100 km or more above Earth's surface.
    • Any orbit (regardless of outcome): Flights which achieve at least one complete orbit even if the orbit differs from the targeted orbit.
    • Target orbit (without damage to the payload)
  • Status: Actual status of launcher (retired, development, active)
  • Date of flight
    • First: Year of first flight of first family member
    • Last (if applicable): Year of Last flight (for vehicles retired from service)
  • Refs: citations

Same cores are grouped together (like Ariane 1, 2 & 3, but not V).

List of active and under-development launcher families

Legend
  Active or undergoing orbital test flights
  Under-development
Family Country/Org. Manufac. Payload (kg) Cost (US$,
millions)
Launches reaching... Status Date of flight Notes Refs
LEO GTO TLI Total Space Any orbit Target orbit First Last
Agnibaan IND AgniKul Cosmos 100 -- -- -- Devel. NET 2023 Expected launch in 2022
Alpha USA Firefly Aerospace 1,000 N/a N/a -- 6 5 4 2 Active 2021
Angara RUS Khrunichev 3,800–​35,000 3,600–​12,500 -- -- 12 12 12 10 Active 2014
Antares USA Orbital ATK 8,000 -- -- 80[citation needed] 18 17 17 17 Active 2013 Cygnus launcher.
Var.: 110, 120, 130, 230, 230+, 330
Ariane 6 FRA
ESA
ArianeGroup 21,650
(A64 var.)
11,500+
(A64 var.)
8,500
(A64 var.)
115 5 5 5 5 Active 2024 Var.: Ariane 62, Ariane 64.
Astra Rocket USA Astra 50–​150
(to SSO)
N/a N/a -- 7 4 2 2 Active 2020 2 suborbital test launches in 2018.
Atlas V USA ULA 18,850 8,900 2,807 109–​153 106 106 106 106 Active 2002 2029
(planned)
Launched Juno & New Horizons
Blue Whale 1 ROK Perigee Aerospace 170 (to SSO) -- -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2024
Ceres CHN Galactic Energy 400 (LEO)
300 (SSO)
-- -- -- 22 21 20 20 Active 2020 Var.: Ceres-1, Ceres-1S
1,600 (LEO)
1,300 (500 km SSO)
-- -- -- Var.: Ceres-2
Chollima-1 DPRK NADA ~300 -- -- -- 4 2 1 1 Active 2023 UDMH/N2O4 fueled carrier
Cyclone-4M UKR Yuzhnoye
Yuzhmash
5,000 1,000 -- -- 0 Devel. unknown
Electron NZ
USA
Rocket Lab 225 6 73 73 69 69 Active 2017
Epsilon JPN IHI Corporation 1,200 -- -- -- 6 6 5 5 Active 2013
Eris AUS Gilmour Space Technologies 305 -- -- -- 1 0 0 0 Active 2025
Falcon Falcon 9 USA SpaceX 22,800 8,300 -- 61.2 582 580 580 579 Active 2010 Var.: v1.0, v1.1, FT, Block 4, Block 5. Launcher of crewed Dragon capsule.
Falcon Heavy USA SpaceX 63,800 26,700 -- 90–​150 11 11 11 11 Active 2018 First test launch 2018-02-06
Gravity-1 CHN Orienspace 6,500 (LEO)
3,700 (700 km SSO)
-- -- -- 2 2 2 2 Active 2024 largest solid launcher (3rd stage can be solid/kerolox)
Gravity-2 CHN Orienspace 25,600 (LEO)
19,100 (SSO)
7,700 -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 kerolox (core), solid (boosters); reusable 1st stage
GSLV Mark II IND ISRO 5,000 2,700 -- -- 12 11 10 10 Active 2010
H3 JPN Mitsubishi 4,000–28,300 (base-heavy) 7,900–14,800 (base-heavy) 11,900 (heavy) 7 7 6 5 Active 2023 Var.: 30S, 22S, 32L, 24L, heavy
Hanbit Nano ROK Innospace 90 (500 km SSO) -- -- 1 0 0 0 Active 2025 Paraffin/LOX 1st stage; Methane/LOX 2nd stage
Hyperbola-1 CHN i-Space 300 -- -- 8 6 4 4 Active 2019
Hyperbola-3 CHN i-Space 8,500–13,400 -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 VTVL
Jielong 1 CHN CALT 200 (SSO) -- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2019
Jielong 3 CHN CALT 1,600 (500 km SSO) -- -- -- 8 8 8 8 Active 2022
KAIROS JPN Space One 250
150 (SSO)
-- -- 2 0 0 0 Active 2024
Kuaizhou
(DF-21)
CHN CASIC 450 (KZ-1A Enhanced) -- -- -- 37 35 33 33 Active 2013 Var.: KZ-1, KZ-1A, KZ-11; (KZ-21 under development)
1,500 (KZ-11) -- --
LauncherOne USA Virgin Orbit 300 (SSO) -- -- -- 6 5 4 4 Susp. 2020
Lijian-1
(Kinetica-1)
CHN CAS Space 1,500
(500 km SSO)
-- -- -- 11 11 10 10 Active 2022 solid fueled carrier
Lijian-2
(Kinetica-2)
CHN CAS Space 12,000 (LEO)
7800 (SSO)
-- -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 kerolox LV. reusable 1st stage
Long March 2–3–4
(DF-5)
CHN CALT+SAST 12,000 5,500 3,300 511 505 502 494 Active 1971 See notes Var.: 2A, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 3, 3A, 3B, 3B/E, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4C. See for retired var. among those listed here.
Long March 5 CHN CALT -- 14,000 8,000 -- 17 17 16 16 Active 2016 Var.: CZ-5
25,000 -- -- Var.: CZ-5B
CZ 6–7–8 family Long March 6 CHN SAST 1,500 (LEO)
1,080 (700 lm SSO)
-- -- -- 34 34 34 34 Active 2015 Var.: 6
4,500 (700 km SSO) -- -- Var.: 6A
2,400 (500 km SSO) -- -- Var.: 6C
Long March 7 CHN CALT 14,000 -- -- -- 23 22 22 22 Active 2016 Var.: 7
-- 7,000 -- Var.: 7A
Long March 8 CHN CALT 4,500 (SSO) 2,800 > 1,200 -- 9 9 9 9 Active 2020 Var.: 8
7,000 (700 km SSO) -- -- Var.: 8A
Long March 9 CHN CALT 150,000 -- 50,000 -- 0 Devel. 2033 partly-reusable Super-Heavy carrier
Long March 10 CHN CALT 70,000 (CZ-10) -- 27,000
(CZ-10)
-- 0 Devel. 2026 Human-rated
Var.: 10 (3-core, TLI)
14,000 (CZ-10A, reusable) -- -- Human-rated
Var.: 10A (1-core, LEO, partly reusable)
18,000 (CZ-10A, expendable) -- -- Human-rated
Var.: 10A (1-core, LEO, expendable)
Long March 11 CHN CALT 1,000 -- -- -- 18 18 18 18 Active 2015 Likely based on DF-31 missile
Long March 12 CHN SAST 12,000 (LEO);
6,000 (700 km SSO)
-- -- -- 5 5 5 5 Active 2024 Var. 12 (kerolox LV,
3.8 metres diameter)
~5,000 (700 km SSO) -- -- Var.: 12A (reusable methane-fueled carrier)
LVM3 IND ISRO 10,000 4,000 2,180 -- 7 7 7 7 Active 2014 Uprated cryo 2nd stage (C32) and semi-cryo 1st stage (SC120) variants expected
Maia FRA MaiaSpace 500 (SSO) -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 Planned first stage reuse
Minotaur I USA Orbital ATK 580 -- -- -- 12 12 12 12 Active 2000 Derived from the Minuteman II
Minotaur IV & V USA Orbital ATK 1,735 640 447 50 9 9 9 9 Active 2010 Also 2 suborbital launches (HTV-2a). Var.: IV, IV Lite, IV HAPS, V. Derived from Peacekeeper missile
Miura 5 ESP PLD Space 900 -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2024
MLV USA Firefly Aerospace 14,000 -- -- -- 0 Devel. 2025
Nebula-1 CHN Deep Blue Aerospace 1,000 -- -- 0 Devel. 2024 VTVL (first stage)
Nebula-2 CHN Deep Blue Aerospace 20,000 -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 kerolox; VTVL (first stage)
Neutron NZ
USA
Rocket Lab 15,000 -- 2,000 50 0 Devel. 2024
New Glenn USA Blue Origin 45,000 13,000 -- 2 2 2 2 Active 2025
New Line 1 CHN LinkSpace 200 (SSO) -- -- 0 Devel. unknown
NGLV (Soorya) IND ISRO 30,000 10,000 -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2032 Program approved in 2024
Nuri ROK KARI 1,500 -- -- 4 4 3 3 Active 2021
OS-M CHN OneSpace 205 (M1) -- -- -- 1 0 0 0 Active 2019 Var.: M1, M2, M4. Single M1 failed launch; M2 & M4 in development.
Pallas-1 CHN Galactic Energy 5,000
3,000 (SSO)
-- -- -- 0 Devel. 4th Qt 2025 kerolox LV with reusable 1st stage
Pallas-2 CHN Galactic Energy 20,000 7,500 -- -- 0 Devel. NET 4th Qt 2026 Var.: 1-core
58,000 -- -- Var.: 3-core
Pegasus USA Orbital ATK 450 -- -- -- 45 44 42 40 Active 1990
Pioneer-1
(aka Yuanxingzhe-1 or XZY-1)
CHN Arrowhead Technology/Space Epoch 6,500 (1,100 km LEO) -- -- 0 Devel. 2025 first stage recovery via ocean landing
Prime UK Orbex 150 (SSO) -- -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2023
Proton
(UR-500)
USSR
RUS
Khrunichev 23,000 6,920 5,680 65 (Proton-M) 430 382 Active 1965 Var.: K, M, Medium in development.
PSLV IND ISRO 3,800 1,200 550 -- 63 62 60 59 Active 1993 Var.: CA, XL, QL, DL
Launched moon probe Chandrayaan I, Mars probe Mangalyaan I
Qaem-100 IRN IRGC 80 -- -- -- 3 3 2 2 Active 2023 also one successful suborbital launch
Qased IRN IRGC ~50 -- -- -- 3 3 3 3 Active 2020
RFA One Germany Rocket Factory Augsburg 1,300 450 -- -- 0 Devel. 2024 1st stage combustion in Europe, Orbital Stage. [citation needed]
Rokot/Strela
(UR-100N)
RUS Eurockot Khrunichev 2,100 -- -- -- 37 36 35 35 Active 1994 34 Rokot launches (no launches post-2019 due to Ukrainian tech ban); 3 Strela launches.
RS1 USA ABL Space Systems 1,200 -- -- 12 1 0 0 0 Active 2023
Shavit ISR IAI 225 -- -- 15 13 11 11 11 Active 1988 Var.: Shavit, -1, -2
Simorgh IRN ISA 350 -- -- -- 7 7 2 2 Active 2016
SK solid fueled TV2 ROK MND > 100 -- -- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2023 solid fueled launch vehicle
SLS USA Orbital ATK Boeing United Launch Alliance Aerojet Rocketdyne 95,000–​130,000 -- 27,000–​46,000 -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2022 Var.: Block 1, Block 1B, Block 2
Soyuz
USSR
RUS
RSC Energia TsSKB-Progress 8,200 2,400 1,200 -- 2,007 1,882 Active 1957 Var.: Sputnik, Luna, Vostok-L, Vostok-K, Voskhod, Molniya, Molniya-L, Molniya-M, Polyot, Soyuz, Soyuz-L, Soyuz-M, Soyuz-U, Soyuz-FG, Soyuz-2, Soyuz-2-1v
Spectrum GER Isar Aerospace 1,000 (LEO)
700 (SSO)
-- -- -- 1 0 0 0 Active 2025
SS-520 JPN IHI Aerospace 4 -- -- -- 2 2 1 1 Active 2017 2 successful suborbital flights and 2 orbital flights (one success). A test of how small orbital rockets can be. The rocket has a mass of only 2.6 tonnes.
SSLV IND ISRO 500 300 -- -- 3 3 2 2 Active 2022
Starship USA SpaceX 250,000 (expendable) [better source needed] 40,000 [better source needed] 100,000+
(With in-orbit
refueling)

[better source needed]
-- 11 10 0 0 test flights 2023 1st flight intended a TAO orbit; 3rd flight suborbital
150,000 (reusable) [better source needed]
Start-1
(RT-2PM)
RUS MITT 532 -- -- -- 7 6 6 6 Active 1993
Taurus / Minotaur-C USA Orbital Sciences 1,450 -- -- -- 9 9 6 6 Active 1989 Var.: 2110, 3110, 3210
Tianlong 2 CHN Space Pioneer 2,000 (LEO)
1,500 (500 km SSO)
-- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2023 liquid fueled (kerolox) carrier
Tianlong 3 CHN Space Pioneer 17,000 (LEO)
14,000 (500 km SSO)
-- -- 0 Devel. 2024 kerolox with reusable 1st stage
Tronador ARG CONAE 500 Devel. 2030
Unha DPRK KCST 200 -- -- -- 4 3 2 Active 2006 Var.: Paektusan based on Taepodong-1 missile; Unha based on Taepodong-2 missile.
Vega ITA
FRA
ESA
Avio 2,300 -- -- 23 28 27 25 25 Active 2012 Vega, Vega-C,
Vega-E in-development.
Vikram IND Skyroot Aerospace 720 -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2023 Var.: Vikram 1, Vikram II, Vikram III
VLM BRA CTA 150 -- -- -- 0 Devel. NET 2025
Vulcan USA ULA 17,800–​34,900 7,400–​16,300 -- 99 3 3 3 3 Active 2024 [non-primary source needed]
Yenisei RUS TsSKB-Progress
RSC Energia
88,000–​115,000 20,000-27,000 0 Devel. NET 2032
Zenit USSR
UKR
RUS
Yuzhnoye 13,740 6,160 4,098 -- 84 74 72 Active 1985 Var.: 2, 2M (2SB, 2SLB), 3SL, 3SLB, 3SLBF
Zephyr FRA Latitude 100 -- -- 0 Devel. 2025
Zero JPN Interstellar Technologies 100 (SSO) -- -- 0 Devel. 2023
Zhuque-2 CHN LandSpace 4,000 (LEO)
1,500 (500 km SSO)
-- -- 6 6 4 4 Active 2022 Var.: ZQ-2;
1st methalox LV to reach:
space (2022),
orbit (2023),
orbit with payload (12/2023)
6,000 (LEO)
4,000 (500 km SSO)
-- -- Var.: ZQ-2E
Zhuque-3 CHN LandSpace 11,800 (expendable)
8,000 (1st stage recovered)
-- -- 1 1 1 1 Active 2025 Var.: ZQ-3;
methalox carrier
21,000 (expendable)
12,500–18,300 (1st stage recovered)
-- -- Var.: ZQ-3E
Zuljanah IRN ISA 220 0 Devel. NET 2023 Two successful suborbital flights

List of retired launcher families

Legend
  Retired
Family Country/Orgs. Manufac. Payload (kg) Cost (US$,
millions)
Launches reaching... Status Date of flight Notes Refs
LEO GTO TLI Total Space Any orbit Target orbit First Last
Ariane 1-2-3 FRA
ESA
Aérospatiale N/a 2,650 N/a -- 28 Retired 1979 1989
Ariane 4 FRA
ESA
Aérospatiale 7,000 4,720 N/a -- 116 Retired 1988 2003 Var.: 40, 42P, 42L, 44P, 44L, 44LP
Ariane 5 FRA
ESA
Airbus 21,000 10,735 N/a 165–​220 117 115 115 112 Retired 1996 2023 Var.: G, G+, GS, ECA, ES.
ASLV IND ISRO 150 -- -- -- 4 2 2 1 Retired 1987 1994
Athena I & II USA Lockheed ATK 2,065 -- 295 -- 7 Retired 1995 2001 Launch Lunar Prospector.
Atlas I
(Atlas A-B-C-D-E-F-G)
USA Lockheed 5,900 2,340 -- -- 514 Retired 1957 1997 Launch Mercury.
Atlas or Centaur upper stage.
Atlas II USA Lockheed 8,618 3,833 -- -- 63 63 63 Retired 1991 2004
Atlas III USA Lockheed 10,759 4,609 -- -- 6 6 6 Retired 2003 2005 Var.: IIIA, IIIB
Black Arrow UK RAE Westland 132 -- -- -- 4 3 Retired 1969 1971
Delta USA Douglas 3,848 1,312 -- -- 186 Retired 1960 1989 Launched Pioneer & Explorer probes.
Var. A, B, C, D, E, G, J, L, M, N, 300, 900, 1X00, 4X00, 2X00, 3X00, 5X00
Delta II USA ULA 6,000 2,171 1,508 51 153 152 152 151 Retired 1989 2018 Launched Mars probes MGS to Phoenix
Var.: 6000, 7000, and Heavy.
Delta III USA Boeing 8,290 3,810 -- -- 3 2 2 Retired 1998 2000
Delta IV USA ULA 23,040 13,130 9,000 -- 45 45 45 44 Retired 2002 2024 Var.: M, M+, and Heavy.
Diamant FRA SEREB 160 -- -- -- 12 9 Retired 1965 1975 [citation needed]
Dnepr
(R-36M)
UKR
RUS
Yuzhmash 3,600 -- 750 14 17 Retired 1999 2015
Energia USSR NPO Energia 100,000 20,000 32,000 240 (Energia−Buran) 2 2 1 1 Retired 1987 1988 1 partial failure with Polyus spacecraft, 1 successful flight with Buran shuttle. [citation needed]
Falcon 1 USA SpaceX 420 -- -- 7.9 5 4 2 2 Retired 2006 2009
Feng Bao 1
(DF-5)
CHN SAST 2,500 -- -- -- 8 4 Retired 1972 1981 3 successful suborbital flights
GSLV Mark I IND ISRO 5,000 2,500 -- -- 6 4 2 2 Retired 2001 2010
H-I JPN Mitsubishi 3,200 -- -- 9 9 Retired 1986 1992 License-built version of the Thor-ELT
H-II, IIA & IIB JPN Mitsubishi 19,000 8,000 -- (190), 90, 112 66 65 64 63 Retired 1994 2025 Var.: A202, A2022, A2024, A204, B
J-I JPN IHI Corporation Nissan Motors 880 -- -- -- 1 Retired 1996 1996 Partial demonstration flight only [citation needed]
Kosmos
(R-12 & R-14)
USSR Yuzhnoye Polyot 1,500 -- -- 12 610 559 Retired 1967 2010 Var.: 1, 2, 3, 3M
Kaituozhe
(DF-31)
CHN CALT 800 -- -- -- 3 1 1 1 Retired (likely) 2002 2017 Var.: KT-1, KT-2, KT2-A
Lambda 4S JPN Nissan ISAS 26 -- -- -- 5 1 Retired 1966 1970 [citation needed]
Long March 1 CHN CALT 300 -- -- -- 2 2 2 2 Retired 1970 1971
Long March 1D CHN CALT 740 -- -- -- 0 Retired 1995 2002 3 suborbital launches only (2 successful.)
Mu 1-3-4 JPN Nissan Motor IHI 770 -- -- -- 27 Retired 1966 1995 Var.: 1, 3D, 4S, 3C, 3H, 3S, 3SII
Mu 5 JPN Nissan Motor IHI 1,800 -- -- -- 7 6 Retired 1997 2006 Var.: M-V, M-V KM [citation needed]
N1 USSR NPO Energia 90,000 -- 23,500 -- 4 0 0 0 Retired 1969 1972 Designed for Soviet Manned Lunar Mission
N-I & II JPN Mitsubishi 2,000 730 -- -- 15 15 15 14 Retired 1975 1987 Derived from the American Delta rocket
Naro ROK Khrunichev KARI 100 -- -- -- 3 2 1 1 Retired 2009 2013 First stage uses the Russian RD-151 engine
Safir IRN ISA 50 -- -- -- 8 5 4 4 Retired 2007 2019 Numbers given here may be in dispute
Saturn I & IB USA Chrysler Douglas 18,600 -- -- 19 13 13 13 13 Retired 1961 1975 Saturn 1 family also included 6 suborbital test launches
Saturn V USA Boeing North American Douglas 118,000 -- 47,000 185 13 13 13 Retired 1967 1973 Var.: Apollo, Skylab
Scout USA US Air Force NASA 210 -- -- -- 125 104 Retired 1960 1994 Var.: X1, X2, A, D, G
Shtil'/Volna-O
(R-29)
RUS Makeyev 430 -- -- -- 8 7 2 2 Retired (as commercial launchers) 1995 2006 Var.: Volna, Shtil, 2.1, 2R, 3
SLV IND ISRO 40 -- -- -- 4 3 3 2 Retired 1979 1983 Launched Rohini satellite series
STS
(Space Shuttle)
USA Alliant Martin Marietta Rockwell 24,400 3,810 -- 450 135 134 134 133 Retired 1981 2011 Orbiter mass: 68585 kg.
Terran 1 USA Relativity Space 1,250 -- -- 1 1 0 0 Retired 2023 2023 anticipates 3-D printing most rocket parts
Thor USA Douglas 1,270 -- 38 -- 357 Retired 1957 1980 Launched Pioneer & Explorer probes
Titan II-(II GLV)-III-IV
(LGM-25C)
USA Martin Marietta 21,900 5,773 8,600 350 369 Retired 1959 2005 Var.: I, II, IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, IIID, IIIE, 34D, IVA, IVB
Gemini launcher
Tsyklon
(R-36)
USSR
UKR
Yuzhmash 4,100 -- -- -- 259 Retired 1967 2009 Var.: 1, 2, 3.
Vanguard USA Martin 23 -- -- -- 12 3 Retired 1957 1959
Zhuque-1 CHN LandSpace 300 -- -- 1 1 0 0 Retired 2018 2018



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