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The global launch market reached $14.1 billion in 2024 — up 34% since 2021.
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Company | ULA | Khrunichev / Roscosmos |
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| Status | Active | Retired |
| Vehicle class | Medium | Heavy |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX (RD-180); LH₂ / LOX (Centaur III) | UDMH / N₂O₄ (hypergolic — all stages) |
| Reusable | No | No |
| Stages | 2 | 3 |
| First flight | 2002 | 2001 – 2023 |
| Payload to LEO | 18,850 kgas of [1]401 configuration. Maximum 401/551 stretch to 20,520 kg. 551 max 29,420 kg (5-solid boosters). | 22,400 kgas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Payload to GTO | 8,900 kgas of [1]551 configuration (maximum performance) ↑ Best | 6,290 kgas of [1]With Briz-M upper stage |
| Height | 58.3 mas of [1]401 configuration ↑ Best | 58.2 mas of [1] |
| Liftoff mass | 334 tas of [1]401 configuration without strap-ons | 712 tas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Success rate | 99.1%as of [2]108 full successes + 1 partial failure (NROL-30, Jun 2007 — payload still reached usable orbit) across 109 launches ↑ Best | ~91%as of [2]~13 mission failures out of ~115 flights in Proton-M variant; highly toxic propellant complicated recovery operations |
| Total flights | 109as of [2]No longer sold but still flying its backlog: ~8 launches remained as of Apr 2026 (6 Starliner + 2 Amazon Leo); most recent flight Amazon Leo LA-07 (May 29, 2026), ~7 remain | ~115as of [2]Effectively retired ~2023 with Russian government replacing it with Angara A5 ↑ Best |
| Cost / kg LEO | — | — |
| Summary | ULA's workhorse since 2002 and the longest-serving active US rocket. Launched Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity), OSIRIS-REx, Solar Orbiter, Lucy, New Horizons, and the Boeing Starliner. Production ended in 2024 and ULA no longer sells the vehicle, but it continues flying a sold-out backlog of Starliner and Amazon Leo missions into the late 2020s. | Russia's dominant heavy-lift rocket for GEO comsats and planetary missions from 1965 (Proton family) through 2023 (Proton-M). Notorious for its hypergolic propellant — a highly toxic UDMH/N₂O₄ combination that caused environmental concerns at Baikonur. Replaced by Angara A5. |
48 launch vehicles across 10 countries — active, retired, and in development — with primary-source citations from manufacturer user guides and agency press kits. Pure URL state: bookmark or share the link and the comparison reproduces exactly.