Author Topic: Rocket comparisson (Read 5424 times)

Spirit · « **on:** 04/13/2006 04:49 pm »

Hi guys, I would like to make a simple rocket comparisson. I collected some info but it is incomplete and might be wrong.
I will be very thankful if you help me to edit and/or complete my table. These are current and future vehicles.
See the attachment.

MartianBase · « **Reply #1 on:** 04/14/2006 07:36 am »

Just looking at your table

The U.S. Military has been forking out the cash for delta and Delta-4H and it looks like it could be a great rocket but its December voyage only had a partial success

Falcon 9 hasn't flown, the first Musk rocket exploded so Falcon might become a failed project

Your Ariane info is wrong, the rocket does about 19,000 - 22,000 kg depending on its config and whether if it is flying one payload or two but when compared to the great Russian prices the French/European Ariane is expensive

I think the latest Japanese H-2 is the most expensive, it is also an under-performer and Japan seems to be failing to get its rockets to operate reliably. Japan is going backwards while its launch prices are going up.

China will launch you into space for anything between 20-50 million depending on the LongMarch version and the payload but doing business with China can some times be a diplomatic difficulty and the Chinese lack heavy lift, even their current manned rocket isn't such a Heavy lifter.

Atlas is about 140 million, a great rocket perhaps one of the best out there but it lacks heavy lift
some posters jokingly said the New-Horizons payload looked like an elephant sitting on a mouse.

MartianBase · « **Reply #2 on:** 04/14/2006 08:07 am »

according to Mr.Columbus
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2046&posts=8
Proton has some great LEO capacity but launches considerably less to GTO.

Spirit · « **Reply #3 on:** 04/14/2006 12:45 pm »

The problem with such comparisson is that the payloads that the companies announce are for certain inclination and the vehicles are being launched from different places arround the globe. For example a vehicle can lift different payloads in 25 and 50 degrees inclination.
But I still want to fill the table.