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The global launch market reached $14.1 billion in 2024 — up 34% since 2021.
| Attribute | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Rocket Lab | Firefly Aerospace | Avio / Arianespace |
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇪🇺 Europe |
| Status | In Development | Active | Active |
| Vehicle class | Medium | Small | Small |
| Propellant | CH₄ / LOX | RP-1 / LOX | Solid (HTPB + ammonium perchlorate all four stages) |
| Reusable | Yes | No | No |
| Stages | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| First flight | 2026 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Payload to LEO | 13,000 kgas of [1]Expendable; ~8,000 kg reusable with first-stage return ↑ Best | 1,030 kgas of [1]SSO capacity ~630 kg | 2,300 kgas of [1]SSO: ~1,700 kg |
| Payload to GTO | — | — | — |
| Height | ~40 mas of [1] ↑ Best | 29 mas of [1] | 35 mas of [1] |
| Liftoff mass | ~481 tas of [1] ↑ Best | 54 tas of [1] | 210 tas of [1] |
| Success rate | — | 43%as of [2]3/7 full successes (FLTA003 Jul 2023, FLTA005 Dec 2024, FLTA007 Mar 2026) + 2 partial successes + 2 failures through FLTA007 | 75%as of [2]6/8 successes; VV22 (Dec 2022) Zefiro-40 failure destroyed Pléiades Neo 5&6; returned to flight VV25 (Dec 2024). 3 successes in 2025. ↑ Best |
| Total flights | — | 7as of [2] | 8as of [2] ↑ Best |
| Cost / kg LEO | — | ~$14,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$15M list price / 1,030 kg LEO ↓ Cheapest | ~$16,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$38M list price / 2,300 kg |
| Summary | Rocket Lab's medium-lift reusable rocket targeting the $100B constellation replenishment market. Uses a 'hungry hippo' fairings design that opens at the top rather than traditional clamshell separation. First flight delayed to Q4 2026 after a Jan 2026 propellant tank test anomaly. | Firefly Aerospace's two-stage small-lift rocket powered by four Reaver engines at sea level and one Lightning engine in vacuum. Also provides launch services for NASA's CLPS programme (Blue Ghost lander launched on Falcon 9). FLTA007 'Stairway to Seven' succeeded Mar 11, 2026. | Europe's primary small satellite launcher derived from Vega. The P120C first-stage motor is shared with Ariane 6's solid strap-on boosters. Avio took over programme management from Arianespace in Dec 2025. |
28 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.