Efficiency of Competitiveness Evaluation of Medium-Lift Launch Vehicle (MLV) Using Integrated DEA-TOPSIS Model

Owing to increasing launch demand and lack of launch vehicle to space for commercial satellite customers, the commercial launch market for transporting satellites into orbit by medium-lift launch vehicle (MLV) is extremely popular and competitive. Understanding the efficiency and competitiveness of vehicles is particularly significant for both MLV providers and parties that are willing to utilize launch services. This paper presents a hybrid model that combines the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, and technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to evaluate and then rank the efficiency and competitiveness of 15 currently operational MLVs. DEA analysis shows that the comprehensive efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency of 10 MLVs are all 1, which means relatively DEA effective. The remaining 5 MLVs are relatively DEA ineffective, and the vehicle named Zenit 3 has the lowest relative efficiency. Through DEA, various criteria of ineffective MLVs are revised to ideal values, which achieves effectiveness and improve competitiveness. The following TOPSIS analysis shows that Falcon 9 Block 5 has the highest efficiency and competitiveness. This paper provides benchmark MLV with the highest efficiency, which can be studied extensively by the customers of commercial launch vehicles and peer MLV operators to compare different criteria affecting their efficiency and competitiveness.