LAUNCH VEHICLES

Most launch vehicles are large rockets, which consist of several main components, all of which are necessary to get us to Mars or to reach a space station. Payload Control and Comms System Stages Fuel Boosters Rocket Engines                                 The Russian A4 Soyuz/Vostok Four liquid-fuel boosters surround the main core of the rocket © Image: J W Hodges But conventional rockets are not the only way of getting into space. Space shuttle craft will become more common in the years ahead. The United States has had its Space Transportation System, the official name for the Shuttle, operating since the early nineteen-eighties. A new craft is being developed in the USA, the VentureStar, and several other countries are developing shuttle vehicles. The Russian have one called Buran, but it is not now operational and was never used as a manned vehicle; while Japan has its Hope-X; and the European Space Agency has plans for a small manned shuttle. © Image: NASA ROCKETS Expendable Launch Vehicles suitable for launching Mars Probes and Space Station Components Type Agency Nationality Service Date Payload kg/lbs Titan IV NASA USA Current 2400/5300 To Transit Delta II NASA USA Current 1000/2200 To Transit Ariane 5 ESA Europe Current 7400/16300 To low Earth orbit A4/Soyuz RSA Russia/Ukraine Current 6800/15000 To low Earth orbit Proton RSA Russia/Ukraine Current 20000/44000 To low Earth orbit Zenit RSA Russia/Ukraine Current 13600/30000 To low Earth orbit CZ-4 CAIAD China Current 10000/22000 To low Earth orbit H-2A NASDA Japan 2001 3000/6600 To low Earth orbit SHUTTLES Re-usable Launch Vehicles suitable for launching Space Station Components Type Agency Nationality Service Date Payload kg/lbs STS (Space Shuttle) NASA USA Current 26800/59000 Up to 7 Crew To low Earth orbit Venture Star (X-33) NASA USA 2002 26800/59000 Up to 7 Crew To low Earth orbit Hermes ESA France 2000+ 2 crew To low Earth orbit Hope-X NASDA Japan 2002+ (Test vehicle only) X-38 Lifeboat NASA USA 2002+ 2 crew To low Earth orbit Back to Mars Journey Back to Space Station 2020

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