Expendable launch system

An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are either destroyed during reentry or discarded in space. ELVs typically consist of several rocket stages that are discarded sequentially as their fuel is exhausted and the vehicle gains altitude and speed. As of October 2019, most satellites and human spacecraft are currently launched on ELVs. ELVs are simpler in design than reusable launch systems and therefore may have a lower production cost. Furthermore, an ELV can use its entire fuel supply to accelerate its payload, offering greater fuel efficiency. ELVs are proven technology in widespread use for many decades.[1] ELVs are usable only once, and therefore have a significantly higher per-launch cost than reusable vehicles. New reusable launch systems under development by private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin have the potential to obsolete many existing ELVs due to the lower per-launch costs of reusable rockets.[2]

A Delta IV Heavy rocket (left) and a Proton-M rocket (right)

Current operators

Arianespace

Arianespace produces, operates and markets the Ariane launcher family.[3] Arianespace's 23 shareholders represent scientific, technical, financial and political entities from 10 different European countries.[4][5]

China

India

ISRO currently operates ELV rockets such as PSLV, GSLV Mk.II, GSLV Mk.III.

Japan

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries manufactures ELVs.

Russia

Russia currently operates several state-owned families of expendable launch vehicles, including Proton and Soyuz.

All of the Russian space sector has been renationalized, starting in 2013 with the formation of the United Rocket and Space Corporation to consolidate a large number of disparate companies and bureaus.[6][7][8] On 19 May 2015 State Duma passed a bill creating the Roscosmos State Corporation, further consolidating the industry.[9]

United States

Several governmental agencies of the United States purchase ELV launches. NASA is a major customer with the Commercial Resupply Services and Commercial Crew Development programs, also launching scientific spacecraft. A state-owned ELV, the Space Launch System was, as of 2019, intended to be flying in 2020 or 2021.[10]

The United States Air Force is also an ELV customer. Both the Delta IV and Atlas V from the 1994 Evolved ELV (EELV) program remain in active service, operated by the United Launch Alliance.[11] The National Security Space Launch (NSSL) competition is currently ongoing to select EELV successors to provide assured access to space.

Iran

The Iranian space agency operates expendable launch vehicles such as Safir, Qased and Simorgh.

Israel

References

"Expendable Launch Vehicles". spacetethers.com. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
"Reusability". Retrieved November 20, 2019.
Arianespace: milestones Accessed 26 April 2017
Arianespace: shareholders Archived 2014-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
company-profile (appears to give different shareholdings from those in main text); arianespace.com Accessed 26 April 2017
Messier, Doug (2013-08-30). "Rogozin: Russia to Consolidate Space Sector into Open Joint Stock Company". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
Messier, Doug (2013-10-09). "Rogozin Outlines Plans for Consolidating Russia's Space Industry". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
Messier, Doug (2014-01-05). "Big Changes Ahead for the Russia Space Program in 2014". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
"Draft Law on setting up public corporation "Roscosmos" unanimously supported by the RF DUMA" (Press release). S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
Berger, Eric (17 July 2019). "NASA's large SLS rocket unlikely to fly before at least late 2021". Ars Technica. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin to Form Launch Services Joint Venture | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Expendable Launch Vehicles". spacetethers.com. Retrieved 2018-12-31.

[2] "Reusability". Retrieved November 20, 2019.

[3] Arianespace: milestones Accessed 26 April 2017

[4] Arianespace: shareholders Archived 2014-10-08 at the Wayback Machine

[5] y-profile (appears to give different shareholdings from those in main text); arianespace.com Accessed 26 April 2017

[pa20130830-6] Messier, Doug (2013-08-30). "Rogozin: Russia to Consolidate Space Sector into Open Joint Stock Company". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.

[pa20131009-7] Messier, Doug (2013-10-09). "Rogozin Outlines Plans for Consolidating Russia's Space Industry". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.

[pa20140105-8] Messier, Doug (2014-01-05). "Big Changes Ahead for the Russia Space Program in 2014". Parabolic Arc. Retrieved 2014-09-11.

[ArianespaceCEO2013-9] "Draft Law on setting up public corporation "Roscosmos" unanimously supported by the RF DUMA" (Press release). S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.

[10] Berger, Eric (17 July 2019). "NASA's large SLS rocket unlikely to fly before at least late 2021". Ars Technica. Retrieved 28 August 2019.

[11] Boeing, Lockheed Martin to Form Launch Services Joint Venture | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara A5 Antares 230+ Ariane 5 Atlas V Delta IV Heavy Electron Epsilon Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy GSLV Mk II Mk III H-IIA Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 Kuaizhou 1 1A Kaituozhe 2 LauncherOne^† Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 7 7A^† 11 Minotaur I IV V C OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qased Safir Shavit Simorgh^† Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v Unha Vega Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque-1^†
In development	Angara 1.2 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Firefly Alpha Beta H3 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 11 21 31 Long March 8 9 Miura 5 New Glenn New Line 1 Nuri OmegA OS-M2 OS-M4 Orbex Prime SLS Soyuz-7 SSLV Starship Terran 1 Vega C Vega E Vulcan Zero Zhuque-2
Retired	Al-Abid^† Antares 110/120/130/230 Ariane 1 2 3 4 ASLV Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Black Arrow Conestoga^† Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV Diamant Dnepr Energia Europa^† Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" Feng Bao 1 GSLV Mk I H-I H-II H-IIB Juno I Juno II Kaituozhe-1 Kosmos 1 2I 3 3M Lambda 4S Long March 1 1D^† 2A 2E 3 3B 4A Mu 4S 3C 3H 3S 3SII V N1^† N-I N-II Naro-1 Paektusan Pilot-2^† R-7 Luna Molniya M L Polyot Soyuz original FG L M U U2 Soyuz/Vostok Sputnik Voskhod Vostok L K 2 2M R-29 Shtil' Volna^† Saturn I IB V Scout SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon 2 3 4 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M
Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates historical or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but did not ever succeed (never did or has performed a successful orbital launch)