PAYLOAD (AIR AND SPACE CRAFT)

In military aircraft or space exploration, the payload is the carrying capacity of an aircraft or space ship, including as cargo, munitions, scientific instruments or experiments, or external fuel, although internal fuel is usually not included.

Contents

Air craft

Space craft

Examples

Air craft

Also, with aircraft carrying payload, a trade-off has to be made whether to increase payload or whether to increase the range of the aircraft. This trade-off is done according to a so called payload range diagram. The upper horizontal line represents the aircraft maximum take-off weight (MTOW). This MTOW consists of three components: aircraft empty weight, fuel and payload. Up 'til the vertical line, the aircraft can take its maximum payload for its maximum range.
If the range is increased beyond that point, payload has to be sacrificed for fuel, until it reaches the point of payload at maximum range. Flying further than that point means that the payload has to be reduced further, and only for a slight increase in range. The absolute range is thus the range at which an aircraft can fly without carrying any payload.

Space craft

For a rocket the payload can be a spacecraft launched with the rocket, or in the case of a ballistic missile, the warhead(s). Compare the throw-weight, which includes more than the warhead(s).

Examples

Examples of payload capacity:

★ Antonov An-225: 250,000 kg

★ Saturn V:

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★ Payload to Low Earth Orbit 118,000 kg

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★ Payload to Lunar orbit 47,000 kg

★ Space Shuttle:

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★ Payload to Low Earth Orbit 24,400 kg (53,700 lb)

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★ Payload to geostationary transfer orbit 3,810 kg (8,390 lb)

★ Trident missile: 2800 kg