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Super heavy-lift launch vehicle

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File:Super heavy-lift launch vehicles.png
Comparison of Energia, New Glenn 3-stage, SLS Block I, Long March 9, BFR, N1, SLS Block IB, and Saturn V

A super heavy-lift launch vehicle (SHLLV) is a launch vehicle capable of lifting more than 50,000 kg (110,000 lb) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).[1][2]

Flown vehicles

Operational

  • Falcon Heavy can theoretically launch 63,800 kg (140,700 lb) to low Earth orbit (LEO) in a fully expendable configuration.[a] In a partially reusable configuration in which its two boosters are recovered, it can launch an estimated 57,000 kg (126,000 lb) to LEO.[3][4] Its first launch occurred on 6 February 2018, but it has not yet launched a heavy or super-heavy payload.

Retired

  • Saturn V, with an Apollo program payload of a Command Module, Service Module, and Lunar Module. The three had a total mass of 45,000 kg (99,000 lb).[5][6] When the third stage and Earth-orbit departure fuel was included, Saturn V actually placed 140,000 kg (310,000 lb) into low Earth orbit.[7]
  • The Space Shuttle orbited a combined[b] 122,534 kg (270,142 lb) when launching the Chandra X-ray Observatory on STS-93.[8] Chandra and its two-stage Inertial Upper Stage booster rocket weighed 22,753 kg (50,162 lb).[9]
  • Energia launched two payloads, only one of which reached orbit, before the program was cancelled: the Polyus weapons platform at approximately 80,000 kg (180,000 lb) and Buran. The system was capable to launch up to 105,000 kg (231,000 lb) to low Earth orbit.[10][11] Polyus failed to enter orbit due to a software error on the kick-stage.

The Space Shuttle and Energia-Buran orbiter differed from traditional rockets in that both launched what was essentially a reusable, manned stage that carried cargo internally.

Comparison

Rocket Configuration LEO payload First flight First >50t payload Operational Reusable
Saturn V Apollo 140 t (310,000 lb) 1967 1967 Retired No
Space ShuttleA 122.5 t (270,000 lb) 1981 1981 Retired Partial
Energia BuranA 100 t (220,000 lb) 1987 1987 Retired Partial
Falcon Heavy Expendable (0/3)B 63.8 t (141,000 lb) D - UnprovenD No
Part. reusable (2/3)C ~21 t (46,000 lb) D - UnprovenD Partial
SLS Block 1 70 t (150,000 lb)[12] 2019 (planned) - Development No
Block 1A/1B 105 t (231,000 lb)[12] 2022 (planned) - Development No
Block 2 130 t (290,000 lb)[13] 2029 (planned) - Development No
New Glenn 2-stage 45+ t (99,000+ lb) 2020 (planned) - Development Partial
3-stage ?G - - Development Partial
BFR ReusableE 150 t (330,000 lb)[14] 2022 (planned) - Development Fully
ExpendableF 250 t (550,000 lb)[14] - - Development Partial

^A Includes mass of orbiter
^B No stages recycled, fairing may be landed on ship by parachute
^C Two outside cores landed on droneships, fairing may be landed on ship by parachute
^D Not yet flown in this configuration; only flown in fully reusable configuration with all three cores making landing attempts
^E Booster landed, ship/tanker/sat-delivery vehicle able to land without refueling
^F Booster expended, ship/tanker/sat-delivery vehicle unable to land without refueling
^G Though payload capacity has not been officially announced, the 45,000 kg (99,000 lb) payload for the two-stage variant[15] and thrust levels for the first stage suggest placement of the vehicle in the super-heavy lift class.[16]

Proposed designs

The 140,000 kg (310,000 lb) class Long March 9 has been proposed by China.[17] It has a targeted capacity of 50 tonnes to lunar transfer orbit and first flight by 2030.[18]

In August 2016, Russia's RSC Energia announced plans to develop a super heavy-lift launch vehicle using existing components instead of pushing the less-powerful Angara A5V project.[19][20] This would allow Russia to launch missions towards establishing a permanent Moon base with simpler logistics, launching just one or two 80-to-160-ton super-heavy rockets instead of four 40-ton Angara A5Vs implying quick-sequence launches and multiple in-orbit rendezvous.[19] In February 2018, 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.[21]

Cencelled designs

Comparison of Saturn V, Sea Dragon and Interplanetary Transport System
Comparison of Space Shuttle, Ares I, Saturn V and Ares V

Numerous super-heavy lift vehicles have been proposed and received various levels of development prior to their cancellation.

As part of the Soviet Lunar Project four N1 rockets with a payload capacity of 95,000 kg (209,000 lb), were launched but all failed shortly after lift-off (1969-1972).[22] The program was suspended in May 1974 and formally cancelled in March 1976.[23][24]

The U.S. Ares V for the Constellation program was intended to reuse many elements of the Space Shuttle program, both on the ground and flight hardware, to save costs. The Ares V was designed to carry 188,000 kg (414,000 lb) and was cancelled in 2010, though much of the work has been carried forward into the SLS program.

A 1962 design proposal, Sea Dragon, called for an enormous 150 m (490 ft) tall, sea-launched rocket capable of lifting 550,000 kg (1,210,000 lb) to low Earth orbit. While the design was validated by TRW, the project never moved forward due to the closing of NASA's Future Projects Branch.[25][26]

SpaceX's first publicly released design of its Mars transportation infrastructure was the ITS launch vehicle unveiled in 2016. The payload capability was to be 550,000 kg (1,200,000 lb) in an expendable configuration (equal to the Sea Dragon) or 300,000 kg (660,000 lb) in a reusable configuration.[27] In 2017, it was succeeded by BFR.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A partially reusable configuration where three cores are recovered is classified as a heavy-lift launch vehicle since payload to LEO is under 50,000 kg
  2. ^ The Space Shuttle orbiter itself contributed to reaching low Earth orbit therefore the validity of its inclusion as payload mass is debatable.

References

  1. ^ McConnaughey, Paul K.; et al. (November 2010). "Draft Launch Propulsion Systems Roadmap: Technology Area 01" (PDF). NASA. Section 1.3. Small: 0–2 t payloads; Medium: 2–20 t payloads; Heavy: 20–50 t payloads; Super Heavy: > 50 t payloads
  2. ^ "Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation" (PDF). Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee. NASA. October 2009. p. 64-66. ...the U.S. human spaceflight program will require a heavy-lift launcher ... in the range of 25 to 40 mt ... this strongly favors a minimum heavy-lift capacity of roughly 50 mt....
  3. ^ Musk, Elon [@elonmusk] (12 February 2018). "Side boosters landing on droneships & center expended is only ~10% performance penalty vs fully expended. Cost is only slightly higher than an expended F9, so around $95M" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Capabilities & Services". SpaceX. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Apollo 11 Lunar Module". NASA.
  6. ^ "Apollo 11 Command and Service Module (CSM)". NASA.
  7. ^ Alternatives for Future U.S. Space-Launch Capabilities (PDF), The Congress of the United States. Congressional Budget Office, October 2006, pp. X, 1, 4, 9
  8. ^ "STS-93". Shuttlepresskit.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2000.
  9. ^ "Heaviest payload launched - shuttle". Guinness World Records.
  10. ^ "Polyus". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Buran". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Space Launch System" (PDF). The Boeing Company. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Creech, Stephen (April 2014). "NASA's Space Launch System: A Capability for Deep Space Exploration" (PDF). NASA.
  14. ^ a b Elon Musk speech: Becoming a Multiplanet Species, 29 September 2017, 68th annual meeting of the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia
  15. ^ "Eutelsat first customer for Blue Origin's New Glenn". SpaceNews. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  16. ^ Leahy, Bart (12 September 2016). "Blue Origin reveals New Glenn launch vehicle plans". Spaceflight Insider. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  17. ^ Covault, Craig (18 July 2012). "First Look: China's Big New Rockets". AmericaSpace.
  18. ^ "China achieves key breakthrough in multiple launch vehicles". Space Daily. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  19. ^ a b "Russia's A5V moon mission rocket may be replaced with new super-heavy-lift vehicle". RT.com. 22 August 2016. Energia and Roscosmos are "working on a super heavy-lift launch vehicle (SHLLV) that would use an engine that we already have, the RD-171," Vladimir Solntsev told Izvestia newspaper. [...] The proposed new SHLLV would initially have a LEO lift of 80 tons with a potential to increase the figure to 120 tons or even 160 tons, according to Solntsev.
  20. ^ "«Роскосмос» создаст новую сверхтяжелую ракету". Izvestia (in Russian). 22 August 2016.
  21. ^ "РКК "Энергия" стала головным разработчиком сверхтяжелой ракеты-носителя" [RSC Energia is the lead developer of the super-heavy carrier rocket]. RIA.ru. RIA Novosti. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  22. ^ "N1 Moon Rocket". Russianspaceweb.com.
  23. ^ Harvey, Brian (2007). Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration. Springer-Praxis Books in Space Exploration. Springer Science+Business Media. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-387-21896-0.
  24. ^ van Pelt, Michel (2017). Dream Missions: Space Colonies, Nuclear Spacecraft and Other Possibilities. Springer-Praxis Books in Space Exploration. Springer Science+Business Media. p. 22. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-53941-6. ISBN 978-3-319-53939-3.
  25. ^ Grossman, David (3 April 2017). "The Enormous Sea-Launched Rocket That Never Flew". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  26. ^ “Study of Large Sea-Launch Space Vehicle,” Contract NAS8-2599, Space Technology Laboratories, Inc./Aerojet General Corporation Report #8659-6058-RU-000, Vol. 1 – Design, January 1963
  27. ^ "Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species" (PDF). SpaceX. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.

Further reading

  • Mallove, Eugene F.; Matloff, Gregory L. (1989). The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-61912-4.

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