A super heavy-lift launch vehicle is a rocket that can lift to low Earth orbit a "super heavy payload", which is defined as more than 50 metric tons (110,000 lb) by the United States and as more than 100 metric tons (220,000 lb) by Russia. It is the most capable launch vehicle classification by mass to orbit, exceeding that of the heavy-lift launch vehicle classification .
27-576: The Comet HLLV was a proposed super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed for NASA's First Lunar Outpost program , which was in the design phase from 1992 to 1993 under the Space Exploration Initiative . It was a Saturn V -derived launch vehicle with modernized engines, stretched fuel tanks, and strap-on boosters. Its main goal was to support the First Lunar Outpost program and future human mission to Mars . It
54-413: A "super heavy" because recovery of the center core was attempted. ^G Apollo 6 was a "partial failure": It reached orbit, but had problems with the second and third stages. ^I Estimate by third party. ^J Flight 6 entered a Transatmospheric Earth orbit , an orbit, though one that results in rapid decay and reentry. ^K Block 1 boosters were proven to be recoverable in
81-413: A chemical-only design. The nuclear option was planned to be developed later to support crewed Mars missions. To this end, NASA's Lewis Research Center established a Nuclear Systems Office to develop and test a fully functional nuclear engine by 2005. An alternate version of the launcher based on the then-in-development National Launch System was proposed. NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center looked into
108-530: A larger launch vehicle. Numerous super-heavy-lift vehicles have been proposed and received various levels of development prior to their cancellation. As part of the Soviet crewed lunar project to compete with Apollo/Saturn V, the N1 rocket was secretly designed with a payload capacity of 95 t (209,000 lb). Four test vehicles were launched from 1969 to 1972, but all failed shortly after lift-off. The program
135-687: A modernized A2100 bus. The satellite was successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A aboard Falcon Heavy on April 11, 2019. Arabsat-6A and SaudiGeoSat-1/HellasSat-4 are the two satellites of the Arabsat-6G program, ordered by the Arab League to supply the communications needs of member states. Contracts to build the two satellites were awarded to Lockheed Martin Space Systems in April 2015. Arabsat ultimately awarded
162-669: A nuclear powered variant of the UR-700, and UR-700M, a LOx/Kerosene variant to assemble the 1,400 t (3,100,000 lb) MK-700 spacecraft in earth orbit in two launches. The UR-700M would have a payload capacity of 750 t (1,650,000 lb). The only Universal Rocket to make it past the design phase was the UR-500 while the N1 was selected to be the Soviets' HLV for lunar and Martian missions. The UR-900 , proposed in 1969, would have had
189-457: A payload capacity of 240 t (530,000 lb) to low earth orbit. It never left the drawing board. The General Dynamics Nexus was proposed in the 1960s as a fully reusable successor to the Saturn V rocket, having the capacity of transporting up to 450–910 t (990,000–2,000,000 lb) to orbit. The American Saturn MLV family of rockets was proposed in 1965 by NASA as successors to
216-571: A state permitting reuse on Starship flight test 5 , but it was decided they would not be reused regardless. Long March 10 was first proposed in 2018 as a concept for the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program . Long March 9 , an over 150 t (330,000 lb) to LEO capable rocket was proposed in 2018 by China , with plans to launch the rocket by 2028. The length of the Long March-9 will exceed 114 meters, and
243-525: A successful landing, the center core tipped over in the rough seas, and was destroyed. Approximately 34 minutes after launch, the Arabsat-6A was released from the second stage and began a 17-day process to reach its operational orbit. On June 15, 2021, the 4-tonne second stage re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, its orbit having gradually decayed due to atmospheric drag , with an uncontrolled splash down in
270-533: The Comet HLLV . The Comet would have been capable of injecting 230.8 t (508,800 lb) into low earth orbit and 88.5 t (195,200 lb) on a TLI making it one of the most capable vehicles ever designed. FLO was cancelled during the design process along with the rest of the Space Exploration Initiative . The U.S. Ares V for the Constellation program was intended to reuse many elements of
297-695: The Space Shuttle program, both on the ground and flight hardware, to save costs. The Ares V was designed to carry 188 t (414,000 lb) and was cancelled in 2010. The Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle ("HLV") was an alternate super heavy-lift launch vehicle proposal for the NASA Constellation program, proposed in 2009. A 1962 design proposal, Sea Dragon , called for an enormous 150 m (490 ft) tall, sea-launched rocket capable of lifting 550 t (1,210,000 lb) to low Earth orbit. Although preliminary engineering of
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#1732772422415324-723: The Apollo program before 1972 and two Energia launches, in 1987 and 1988. Most planned crewed lunar and interplanetary missions depend on these launch vehicles. Several super heavy-lift launch vehicle concepts were produced in the 1960s, including the Sea Dragon . During the Space Race , the Saturn V and N1 were built by the United States and Soviet Union, respectively. After the Saturn V's successful Apollo program and
351-457: The Comet rocket or a possible configuration with four F-1A boosters added to the basic 2-stage NLS vehicle. The main expected advantage was that the vehicle could rely on technology currently flying rather than having to resurrect 20 year old technology and manufacturing equipment. Super heavy-lift launch vehicle Only 14 such payloads were successfully launched before 2022: 12 as part of
378-510: The Energia booster was proposed in 2016, also to avoid pushing the Angara project. If developed, this vehicle could allow Russia to launch missions towards establishing a permanent Moon base with simpler logistics, launching just one or two 80-to-160-tonne super-heavy rockets instead of four 40-tonne Angara A5Vs implying quick-sequence launches and multiple in-orbit rendezvous. In February 2018,
405-507: The Middle East and North Africa from its station at 30.5°E. Arabsat-6A was launched aboard the first operational Falcon Heavy on 11 April 2019 at 22:35 UTC from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A . Following a successful launch, the twin side boosters separated from the center core and returned to land at Landing Zones 1 and 2 , while the center core completed its mission and landed on Of Course I Still Love You . En route to port after
432-600: The N1's failures, the Soviets' Energia launched twice in the 1980s, once bearing the Buran spaceplane . The next two decades saw multiple concepts drawn out once again, most notably Space Shuttle-derived vehicles and Rus-M , but none were built. In the 2010s, super heavy-lift launch vehicles received interest once again, leading to the launch of the Falcon Heavy , the Space Launch System , and Starship , and
459-505: The Saturn V rocket. It would have been able to carry up to 160,880 kg (354,680 lb) to low Earth orbit. The Nova designs were also studied by NASA before the agency chose the Saturn V in the early 1960s Nova was cancelled in 1964 and had reusable variants. Based on the recommendations of the Stafford Synthesis report, First Lunar Outpost (FLO) would have relied on a massive Saturn-derived launch vehicle known as
486-567: The beginning of development of the Long March and Yenisei rockets . ^A Includes mass of Apollo command and service modules, Apollo Lunar Module, Spacecraft/LM Adapter , Saturn V Instrument Unit , S-IVB stage, and propellant for translunar injection ; payload mass to LEO is about 122.4 t (270,000 lb). ^B Required upper stage or payload to perform final orbital insertion. ^C Side booster cores recoverable, center core intentionally expended. First re-use of
513-466: The design was done by TRW , the project never moved forward due to the closing of NASA's Future Projects Branch . The Rus-M was a proposed Russian family of launchers whose development began in 2009. It would have had two super heavy variants: one able to lift 50–60 tons, and another able to lift 130–150 tons. SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System was a 12 m (39 ft) diameter launch vehicle concept unveiled in 2016. The payload capability
540-484: The engines were updated to the F-1A and J-2S , and a sixth engine was added to the second stage. Each of the two side boosters had two F-1A engines. Development costs were expected to be modest due to reliance on Apollo -era technology. A nuclear-powered variant of the third stage, with two 222.5-kN engines, was also considered. It would have reduced the rocket's size, but at a predicted development cost of $ 2 billion over
567-644: The launch contract for Arabsat-6A to SpaceX for a Falcon Heavy flight with no expendable boosters. The Falcon Heavy was chosen over the Falcon 9 due to its far superior thrust; the extra boost would extend the satellite's operational lifespan from 15 years to 18-20 years. Arabsat 6A is based on an updated version of the A2100 bus and is considered among the most advanced communications satellites built. The spacecraft utilizes fixed and steerable Ku-band and Ka-band transponders to provide TV and radio services to
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#1732772422415594-510: The rocket would have a core stage with a diameter of 10 meters. Long March 9 is expected to carry a payload of over 150 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, with a capacity of over 50 tonnes for Earth-Moon transfer orbit. Development was approved in 2021. Yenisei , a super heavy-lift launch vehicle using existing components instead of pushing the less-powerful Angara A5 V project, was proposed by Russia's RSC Energia in August 2016. A revival of
621-542: The side boosters was demonstrated in 2019 when the ones used on the Arabsat-6A launch were reused on the STP-2 launch. ^D Includes mass of Orion spacecraft , European Service Module , Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage , and propellant for translunar injection . ^E Does not include dry mass of spaceship. ^F Falcon Heavy has launched 11 times since 2018, but first three times did not qualify as
648-479: The КРК СТК (space rocket complex of the super-heavy class) design was updated to lift at least 90 tonnes to LEO and 20 tonnes to lunar polar orbit, and to be launched from Vostochny Cosmodrome . The first flight is scheduled for 2028, with Moon landings starting in 2030. It looks like this proposal has been at least paused. Blue Origin has plans for a project following their New Glenn rocket, termed New Armstrong , which some media sources have speculated will be
675-487: Was designed to be inexpensive and simple while relying on existing technology to lower development costs. The Comet would have been capable of putting 254.4 tons into low Earth orbit and 97.6 tons to trans-lunar injection , roughly twice that of the Saturn V, making it one of the largest rockets ever designed in terms of payload. The vehicle resembled a Saturn V, but with stretched first and second stages, an increased-diameter third stage, and new side boosters. Additionally,
702-613: Was suspended in May 1974 and formally cancelled in March 1976. The Soviet UR-700 rocket design concept competed against the N1, but was never developed. In the concept, it was to have had a payload capacity of up to 151 t (333,000 lb) to low earth orbit. During project Aelita (1969–1972), the Soviets were developing a way to beat the Americans to Mars. They designed the UR-700 A,
729-500: Was to be 550 t (1,210,000 lb) in an expendable configuration or 300 t (660,000 lb) in a reusable configuration. In 2017, the 12 m evolved into a 9 m (30 ft) diameter concept Big Falcon Rocket , which became the SpaceX Starship . Arabsat-6A Arabsat-6A is a geostationary communications satellite operated by Arabsat . The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems on
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