Classification of launch vehicles

Classification of launch vehicles

According to the propellant used, the launch vehicle can be divided into three types: solid rocket, liquid rocket and solid-liquid hybrid rocket. For example, China’s Long March III launch vehicle is a three-stage liquid rocket; the Long March-1 launch vehicle is a solid-liquid hybrid three-stage rocket. The first and second stages are liquid rockets, and the third stage is Solid rocket; the US Pegasus launch vehicle is a three-stage solid rocket.

According to the number of stages, the launch vehicle can be divided into single-stage rockets and multi-stage rockets. Among them, multi-stage rockets are divided into three types according to the connection form between the stages and the stages, which are divided into series type, parallel type and series-parallel hybrid type. The connection separation mechanism between the series rocket stage and the stage is simple, and the rocket engine of the upper stage is ignited at a high altitude. The connection and separation mechanism of the parallel type rocket is more complicated than the series type, and the core level first stage rocket and the booster rocket are simultaneously ignited on the ground. The Soviet launch of the satellite launch vehicle of the world's first man-made earth satellite was the bundling of 4 support pushers around the middle core rocket. The booster and the core rocket are ignited together on the ground, and the fuel is turned off after being used up. China's Long March II E carrier rocket is a series-parallel hybrid rocket. Four boosters are bundled around the first-stage rocket, and a second-stage rocket is connected in series with the first-stage rocket.