Medium-lift launch vehicle

US definition: 2,000 to 20,000&#160;kg (4,400 to 44,100&#160;lb)
Russian definition: 5,000 to 20,000&#160;kg (11,000 to 44,000&#160;lb)

	Clockwise from top left: Falcon 9, Soyuz-2, LVM3, Nuri, H-IIA, Long March 2D
Class overview
Name	Medium-lift launch vehicle
Preceded by	Small-lift launch vehicle
Succeeded by	Heavy-lift launch vehicle
Built	Since 1958
General characteristics
Capacity	US definition: 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb); Russian definition: 5,000 to 20,000 kg (11,000 to 44,000 lb);

A medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is a rocket launch vehicle that is capable of lifting between 2,000 to 20,000 kg (4,400 to 44,100 lb) by NASA classification or between 5,000 to 20,000 kilograms (11,000 to 44,000 lb) by Russian classification^[1] of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO).^[2] An MLV is between small-lift launch vehicles and heavy-lift launch vehicles.

^ Osipov, Yuri (2004–2017). Great Russian Encyclopedia. Moscow: Great Russian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
^ NASA Space Technology Roadmaps – Launch Propulsion Systems, p.11 Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine: "Small: 0-2t payloads, Medium: 2-20t payloads, Heavy: 20-50t payloads, Super Heavy: >50t payloads"