Introduction ............................................................................................................ 109 Launch Vehicle Evolution ...................................................................................... 109 Pioneers of Modern Rocketry ................................................................................ 110 World War II and the Beginning of the Cold War .................................................. 112 Space Age ............................................................................................................... 114 Trends in Launch Vehicle Operations .................................................................... 126 Launch Vehicle Basics ........................................................................................... 129 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 132 References .............................................................................................................. 133

A fundamental and essential driver in the development and deployment of all space systems is the means of spacelift used to launch systems into space. It is this launch segment that de nes the reach of the space system, constrains its mass and volume, and thus greatly impacts its implementation. Like many of humankind’s greatest achievements, space launch was born in an atmosphere of con ict, spawned by machines of war. But while some rockets carried the means for humankind’s potential destruction, others carried the means by which humanity could extend its footprint beyond the Earth and reach out into the solar system. This chapter will detail the development and implementation of the launch vehicle systems providing the performance and evolution of those systems and thus the basis for the commensurate evolution of the space vehicles launched by those systems. Also discussed are trends in launch vehicle operations, which are driven by a consistent need for affordable and reliable access to space. Finally, a discussion of launch vehicle basics is included.