Pick up to 4 launch vehicles to compare side-by-side. State lives in the URL — share the link and the comparison loads exactly as you left it.
The global launch market reached $14.1 billion in 2024 — up 34% since 2021.
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Company | Avio / Arianespace | PLD Space |
| Country | 🇪🇺 Europe | 🇪🇸 Spain |
| Status | Active | In Development |
| Vehicle class | Small | Small |
| Propellant | Solid (HTPB + ammonium perchlorate all four stages) | RP-1 / LOX |
| Reusable | No | Yes |
| Stages | 4 | 2 |
| First flight | 2022 | 2026 |
| Payload to LEO | 2,300 kgas of [1]SSO: ~1,700 kg ↑ Best | 1,080 kgas of [1]540 kg to SSO. First flight is a stated plan (targeted Q1 2026 as of this research; not yet confirmed flown) — treat as a target, not a fact. |
| Payload to GTO | — | — |
| Height | 35 mas of [1] | 35.7 mas of [1] ↑ Best |
| Liftoff mass | 210 tas of [1] ↑ Best | 69 tas of [1] |
| Success rate | 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 | 8as of [2] ↑ Best | — |
| Cost / kg LEO | ~$16,500/kgas of [1]Based on ~$38M list price / 2,300 kg ↓ Cheapest | — |
| Summary | 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. | PLD Space's orbital small launcher with a recoverable first stage (engine thrust + parachutes), developed with ESA Future Launchers Preparatory Programme support; primary launch site is the Guiana Space Centre. |
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.