Exploring the Emerging Potential of Medium-Lift Launchers

As satellite constellations continue to expand rapidly, the space industry is facing a bottleneck in launch capacity, creating a demand for a new class of medium launch vehicles. Positioned between small-lift and heavy-lift rockets, medium-lift vehicles are essential to meeting the needs of satellite operators who require dedicated launches with more flexibility in scheduling and orbital delivery. This session will examine the business case for medium-lift rockets, highlighting their role in bridging the gap in the current market and supporting the deployment of thousands of new satellites in the coming decade.

With existing heavy-lift vehicles often booked to capacity and small-lift vehicles limited by payload constraints, medium-lift launchers provide an ideal solution for delivering smaller constellations and fulfilling specific mission requirements. The panel will discuss how innovations in propulsion and reusability, along with optimized manufacturing processes, are driving the development of this new class, ensuring it plays a critical role in the future of space exploration and commercialization​.