Vector-H

Vector-H
Function	Micro/Smallsat Launch Vehicle
Manufacturer	Vector Launch, Inc.
Country of origin	United States
Cost per launch	3.5-4.5 Million USD
Size
Height	19.5 m
Diameter	1.2 m
Mass	11,910 kg
Stages	2/3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	290 kg
Payload to SSO
Mass	95 kg
Associated rockets
Family	Vector (rocket family)
Comparable	Electron, Falcon 1, Firefly Alpha
Launch history
Status	In Development
Launch sites	Pacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska; Spaceport Camden; Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 46
First stage
Diameter	1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Powered by	6 x LP-1
Maximum thrust	39,336 lbf (174,980 N)
Propellant	Propylene / LOX
Second stage
Diameter	1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Powered by	1 X LP-3
Maximum thrust	1,135 lbf (5,050 N)
Propellant	Propylene / LOX
Third stage
Diameter	1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Propellant	Solid Fuel
	[edit on Wikidata]

Vector-H (Vector Heavy)^[2] is two-stage or three-stage orbital expendable launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace company Vector Launch to cover the commercial small satellite launch segment (CubeSats). It is an expanded version of the Vector-R rocket, more than doubling the payload capacity.

The rocket is expected to have its first test flight in 2019.^[3]

Design

Vector-H uses two stages, both 1.2 m in diameter, filled with Propylene/LOX propellant. The main body of the rocket is constructed using a lightweight carbon composite material.

The launch vehicle's first stage is powered by six LP-1 LOX/propylene engines, delivering 81,000 newtons of force. The second stage is powered by one LP-3 LOX/propylene engines, delivering 4,400 newtons of force. The engines use a 3D-printed engine injector, designed with help from NASA's Science, Technology and Mission Directorate (STMD) Flight Opportunities program. This allows the injector to be produced as a single piece of hardware, instead of as individual components. The vehicle also includes an optional third stage powered by a solid rocket motor. This allows the upper stage to boost micro satellites into a higher orbit.^[4]

Vector Space Systems is aiming the rocket at a launch cadence of 100 vehicles per year between the Vector-R and Vector-H.^[5]

Vector-HE1

The Vector-HE1 has the same body as the standard Vector-H but includes an electric powered third stage.^[6]

Intended usage

Vector-H is designed to launch a 290 kg (640 lb) payload to a 1,000 km (620 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, suitable for CubeSats and other small payloads. The cost is less than US$5 million, a price point that the company hopes will allow it to attract one hundred launches per year. Customers may choose to encapsulate their spacecraft in payload fairings provided by the company, which can be easily attached to the rocket shortly before launch, in several different configurations, such as fitting CubeSats dispensers or multiple satellites in a single fairing.

Vector will use on-site payload integration for the early launches. However it expects to be able to integrate payloads at their Arizona and California Payload Facilities and ship them to their launch sites.

Launch sites

As of 2018^[update] Vector Space plans to use the LC-46 launch site in Florida, Spaceport Camden, and Pacific Spaceport Complex^[7] Additionally Vector Space investigates adding more minimal infrastructure launch pads either located on land in the US, or to launch the rocket from barges on the ocean.^[8]

Vector Space Systems is currently planning the first launch in 2019.

References

[1] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VSS-2017-023-V2.0-Vector-H-Launch-Users-Guide-Rev-June-170613.pdf

[2] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VSS-2017-023-V2.0-Vector-H-Launch-Users-Guide-Rev-June-170613.pdf

[3] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VSS-2017-023-V2.0-Vector-H-Launch-Users-Guide-Rev-June-170613.pdf

[4] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VSS-2017-023-V2.0-Vector-H-Launch-Users-Guide-Rev-June-170613.pdf

[5] "Tiny rocket company aims for 100 launches a year—and it just might succeed". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2017-03-22.

[6] ttp://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/vector-1.htm

[7] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/VSS-2017-023-V2.0-Vector-H-Launch-Users-Guide-Rev-June-170613.pdf

[8] ttps://vector-launch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Vector_PUG_03_02.pdf

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v t e Orbital launch systems developed in the United States
Active	Atlas V**^†† Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Minotaur I IV V C Pegasus XL RS1^† SLS Block 1 Starship Vulcan Centaur
In development	Antares 330 Daytona I Firefly Beta New Glenn Neutron Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Terran R
Retired	Antares 110/120/130/230/230+^††† Athena I II Atlas B D E/F G H I II III LV-3B SLV-3 Able Agena Centaur Conestoga Delta A B C D E G J L M N 0100 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 II III IV IV Heavy Falcon 1 Falcon 9 v1.0 v1.1 v1.2 "Full Thrust" H-I* Juno I Juno II LauncherOne N-I* N-II* Pilot Rocket 3 Saturn I IB V Scout Space Shuttle SPARK Sparta Terran 1 Thor Able Ablestar Agena Burner Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Vanguard
* - Japanese projects using US rockets or stages ** - uses Russian engines ^† - never succeeded ^†† - no new orders accepted ^††† - used Ukrainian first stage

v t e Orbital launch systems
List of orbital launch systems Comparison of orbital launch systems
Current	Angara 1.2 A5 Atlas V Ceres 1 1S Chollima-1 Electron Falcon 9 Block 5 Falcon Heavy Firefly Alpha Gravity-1 GSLV H-IIA H3 Hyperbola-1 Jielong 1 3 KAIROS^† Kaituozhe 2 Kinetica-1 Kuaizhou 1 1A 11 Long March 2C 2D 2F 3A 3B/E 3C 4B 4C 5 5B 6 6A 7 7A 8 11 11H LVM3 Minotaur I IV V C Nuri OS-M1^† Pegasus XL Proton-M PSLV Qaem 100 Qased RS1^† Shavit 2 Simorgh SLS Block 1 Soyuz-2 2.1a / STA 2.1b / STB 2-1v SSLV Starship Tianlong-2 Unha Vega original C Vulcan Centaur Zenit 3SL 3SLB 3F Zhuque 2
In development	Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Epsilon S Eris Gravity-2 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 9 10 12 Miura 5 MLV Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 NGLV OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Terran R Tianlong-3 VLM Vega E Zero Zhuque 3 Zuljanah
Retired	Antares 110 120 130^† 230 230+ Ariane 1 2 3 4 5 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 IV Heavy Diamant Dnepr Energia Epsilon Europa I^† II^† 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 original 1 2/2I 3 3M Lambda 4S LauncherOne 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^† Rocket 3 Safir 1 1A 1B Saturn I IB V Scout X-1 Blue Scout II^† X-2^† X-2M X-3 X-3M X-4 X-2B^† B A B-1 D-1 A-1 E-1 F-1 G-1 Shavit original 1 SLV Space Shuttle SPARK^† Sparta SS-520 Start-1 Terran 1^† Thor Able Ablestar 1 2 Agena A B D Burner 1 2 Delta DSV-2U Thorad-Agena SLV-2G SLV-2H Titan II GLV IIIA IIIB IIIC IIID IIIE 34D 23G CT-3 IV Tsyklon R-36-O original 2 3 Universal Rocket UR-500 Proton Proton-K Rokot Strela Vanguard VLS-1^† Zenit 2 2M 2FG Zhuque 1^†
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 past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)