Launch Vehicle Categorizations Made Simple: What You Need To Know

Table of Contents

Introduction

This article provides a concise overview of the different groupings/categorizations for launch vehicles.

For information on specific launch vehicles see this article Orbital Launch Vehicles 2022 Compendium.

This article will be updated as additional information is available.

Article last updated on July 8, 2022.

Groupings/Categorizations

Manufacturer

Manufacturing organization, e.g. Northrop Grumman
Years in operation
Organization type, e.g. commercial, government
Financial status, e.g. cash flow positive, cash flow negative

Country of Origin

NASA payloads and NASA sponsored payloads will typically require a US domestic launch vehicle. National Security Space Launch payloads require a US domestic launch vehicle.

Country of origin

Launch Authority

FAA licensed
NASA Launch Services Program
Department of Defense

Payload Flexibility

Single manifest/dedicated
ESPA rideshare
Non-ESPA shared payload adapter rideshare

Stages to Orbit

Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO)
Two Stages to Orbit (TSTO)
Multiple Stages to Orbit (MSTO)

Launch Mode

Vertical launch, e.g. ULA Atlas V
Horizontal launch
Sea launch
Catapult, e.g. Spin Launch
Balloon
Air launch, e.g. Virgin Orbit LauncherOne

Launch/Recovery Facility

FAA licensed spaceport
Private spaceport, e.g. SpaceX Starbase
US Federal site
Commercial airport, e.g. Virgin Orbit
Mobile sea platform, e.g. SpaceX drone ship landing pad

Propellant(s) Utilized

Some launch vehicles will use different types of propellants for different stages of the launch vehicle.

Solid, e.g. IRSO SSLV
Hybrid, e.g. Virgin Galactic VSS
LOX and RP–1, e.g. ULA Atlas V
LOX and Methane, e.g. SpaceX Starship
LOX and Hydrogen, e.g. NASA’s Space Launch System
Hypergolic
Monopropellant
Pressurized inert gas

Reuse Capability

Expendable, e.g. ULA Atlas V
Partially reusable, e.g. SpaceX Falcon 9
Fully reusable, e.g. SpaceX Starship

Reuse Landing/Recovery Mode

Horizontal landing
Vertical landing (propulsive landing on spaceport landing pad, drone ship) e.g. SpaceX Falcon 9
Parachute recovery, e.g. Rocket Lab Electron

Structure Material

Carbon composite
Steel
Aluminum

Innovation

Innovation which increases the access to space by contributing to one or more of more of the following:

Development testing cost reductions
Learning curve time and cost reductions
Launch vehicle cost reductions
Production cost reductions (e.g. mass manufacturing versus bespoke)
Launch operations cost reductions
Reusable vehicle lifecycle cost reductions (e.g. increase number of launches before end of life, recovery and refurbishment cost reductions)
New capabilities

Vehicle History and Reliability

Years in service
Total launches
% successful

Tactical Responsiveness / Responsive Launch

This is an area of interest for the US Space Force.

Time to orbit after receiving tasking order
Launch location/deployment flexibility
Average launch cycle

Flight Regimes

Launch vehicles have different capabilities relative to which orbits they are able to deliver payloads to.

Suborbital
LEO (low Earth orbit)
SSO (Sun-synchronous orbit)
Polar (polar orbit)
MEO (medium Earth orbit)
GTO (geostationary transfer orbit)
GEO (geostationary orbit, direct injection)
HEO (high Earth orbit)
HCO (heliocentric orbit)
TLI (trans-lunar injection)
TMI (trans-Mars injection)

Payload Mass to LEO

One of the most common NASA categorizations of launch vehicles is based on the payload mass they are able to carry to LEO.

CATEGORY       LEO PAYLOAD CAPACITY

Small          <  2,000 kg
Medium            2,000 to 20,000 kg
Heavy          > 20,000 to 50,000 kg
Super-heavy    > 50,000 kg

Launch Vehicle Risk Category

NASA also assigns a “risk category” to all launch vehicles according to their level of quality assurance and track record.

Launch vehicles are qualified to carry specific payload classes based upon the launch vehicle’s assigned risk category as shown in the following table.

Payload Class(es) Supported

NASA assigns a “payload class” to all NASA payloads and NASA sponsored payloads according to their risk tolerance level.

Launch vehicles will have different levels of safety and mission assurance capabilities (which is indicated by the launch vehicle’s risk category previously described). These levels dictate what types of payloads the launch vehicle can support, as identified below:

Human-rated, i.e. ULA Atlas V, SpaceX Falcon 9, NASA SLS
Payload Class (risk tolerance):
- Class A payload, e.g. ULA Atlas V
- Class B payload
- Class C payload
- Class D payload, e.g. Rocket Lab Electron
- Do No Harm (DNH)
National Security Space Launch payload, i.e. SpaceX, ULA

Payload Fairing

Payload fairing usable volume

Cost-effectiveness

Single manifest/dedicated launch price
Price per kilogram of mass to orbit (e.g. LEO, SSO)
Insurability

NASA Procurement Vehicle

NASA Launch Services Program procurement vehicles:
- NASA Launch Services (procurement vehicles: NLS I, NLS II)
- Venture Class Launch Services (procurement vehicles: VCLS, CAPSTONE, VCLS Demo 2, TROPICS, VADR (includes dedicated and rideshare launches))
- Mission Integration Services 3
NASA SMD Ridesharing Office (coordinates available ESPA capacity on NLS, NSSL, international partners, and commercial market)

Operational Status

Proposed
Planned
Development
Operational
Retired

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Additional information for the curious

Orbital Launch Vehicles 2022 Compendium