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Expendable Launch System

Orbital Mechanics and Spaceflight Engineering

An expendable launch system, also called an expendable launch vehicle, is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space. The cited article explains that such vehicles typically consist of several rocket stages that are discarded sequentially as their fuel is exhausted and the vehicle gains altitude and speed, that during the Space Race all launch vehicles were expendable, and that reusable launch vehicles, with early development in the Space Shuttle, gained prominence from the 2010s. Launch vehicles of this class are grouped under this concept.

Connections

Vehicle Class Of

Source Angara A5 (Wikipedia)
Source Antares (rocket) (Wikipedia)

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Delta, Launch Vehicles
Source Wikipedia: Delta (rocket family)

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Source Delta IV Heavy (Wikipedia)

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Source Wikipedia: Europa (rocket)
GSLV, Launch Vehicles

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

H-IIA, Launch Vehicles

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

H-IIB, Launch Vehicles

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Source Nuri (rocket) (Wikipedia)
Source Proton-M (Wikipedia)
PSLV, Launch Vehicles
Source PSLV (Wikipedia)
Safir, Launch Vehicles
Source Wikipedia: Safir (rocket)
Source Soyuz-2 (Wikipedia)

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Entity-backed identity for the vehicle-class enum value this launch vehicle already carries, resolved to a space concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The vehicle-class fact itself stays on the launch vehicle unchanged.

Unha, Launch Vehicles
Source Unha (Wikipedia)
Vega, Launch Vehicles
Source Vega (rocket) (Wikipedia)
Source Vega C (Wikipedia)
Sources
Expendable Launch System
  • Wikipedia, lead section
    An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space.
  • In Group: Launch System Classes, Lead sentence
    An expendable launch system (or expendable launch vehicle/ELV) is a launch vehicle that can be launched only once, after which its components are destroyed during reentry or impact with Earth, or discarded in space.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Delta (rocket family)
Vehicle Class Of: Delta, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Delta, Lead sentence
The Delta rocket family was a versatile range of American rocket-powered expendable launch systems that provided space launch capability in the United States from 1960 to 2024.
View the Source
Delta IV Heavy (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Delta IV Heavy, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Delta IV Heavy, Lead sentence
The Delta IV Heavy (Delta 9250H) was an expendable heavy-lift launch vehicle, the largest member of the Delta IV family.
View the Source
Antares (rocket) (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Antares, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Antares, Lead sentence
Antares (), known during early development as Taurus II, is an American expendable medium-lift launch vehicle developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financial support from NASA under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program awarded in February 2008.
View the Source
Soyuz-2 (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Soyuz-2, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Soyuz-2, Lead sentence
Soyuz‑2 (Russian: Союз‑2, lit. 'Union‑2', GRAU index: 14A14) is a series of Russian expendable medium-lift launch vehicles and the seventh major iteration of the Soyuz rocket family.
View the Source
Proton-M (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Proton-M, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Proton-M, Lead sentence
Proton-M (Протон-М, GRAU index 8K82M or 8K82KM) is an expendable Russian heavy-lift launch vehicle derived from the Soviet-developed Proton.
View the Source
Angara A5 (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Angara A5, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Angara A5, Lead sentence
Angara A5 (Russian: Ангара-А5), is a Russian expendable heavy lift launch vehicle which consists of one URM-1 core and four URM-1 boosters, a 3.6-metre (12 ft) URM-2 second stage, and an upper stage, either the Briz-M, Blok DM-03 or the KVTK.
View the Source
Vega (rocket) (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Vega, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Vega, Lead sentence
Vega (Italian: Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata, French: Vecteur européen de génération avancée, lit. 'Vector European Generation Advanced') was a European expendable small-lift launch vehicle developed by Avio and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
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Vega C (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Vega C, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Vega C, Lead sentence
Vega C, or Vega Consolidation, is a European expendable, medium-lift launch vehicle developed and produced by Avio.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Europa (rocket)
Vehicle Class Of: Europa, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Europa, Lead sentence
The Europa rocket was an early expendable launch system of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), which was the precursor to the European Space Agency (ESA).
View the Source
PSLV (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: PSLV, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: PSLV, Lead sentence
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by ISRO.
View the Source
Nuri (rocket) (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Nuri (KSLV-II), Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Nuri (KSLV-II), Lead sentence
Nuri (Korean: 누리; lit. 'world'), also known as KSLV-II (Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II), is an expendable, three-stage-to-orbit, small-lift launch vehicle, the second one developed by South Korea, and the successor to Naro-1 (KSLV-1) It is developed by Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).
View the Source
Wikipedia: Safir (rocket)
Vehicle Class Of: Safir, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Safir, Lead sentence
The Safir (Persian: سفیر, meaning "ambassador") was the first Iranian expendable launch vehicle able to place a satellite in orbit.
View the Source
Unha (Wikipedia)
Vehicle Class Of: Unha, Lead sentence
Quote, Vehicle Class Of: Unha, Lead sentence
The Unha (Korean: 은하; lit. 'Galaxy') is a North Korean expendable carrier rocket, which partially utilizes the same delivery system as the Taepodong-2 orbital launch system.
View the Source

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