The four currently active space station cargo vehicles. Clockwise from top left: Progress, Cargo Dragon 2, Cygnus, Tianzhou.
A number of different spacecraft have been used to carry cargo to and from space stations. This list does not include crewed spacecraft.
Spacecraft under development | |
Spacecraft is operational | |
Retired spacecraft | |
§ | Pressurized / Unpressurized payload capacity |
Spacecraft | Origin | Manufacturer | Launch vehicle | Length (m) | Dry mass (kg) | Launch mass (kg) | Payload (kg) § | Payload volume (m) | Return payload (kg) § | Diameter (m) | Generated power (W) | Automated docking | Status (No. flights) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TKS | Soviet Union | TsKBM | Proton-K | 17.51 | 13,688 | 21,620 | 12,600 | 4.15 | 2,400 | No | Retired (4) | ||
Progress 7K-TG | Soviet Union | Energia | Soyuz-U | None | No | Retired (43) | |||||||
Progress-M (11F615A55) | Soviet Union Russia |
Energia | Soyuz-U Soyuz-U2 |
7.2 | 7,130 | 2,600 | 7.6 | 150 | 2.72 | 600 | Yes | Retired (66) | |
Progress-M1 | Russia | Energia | Soyuz-U Soyuz-FG |
None | Yes | Retired (11) | |||||||
Progress-M (11F615A60) | Russia | Energia | Soyuz-U | 7.2 | 7,150 | 2,230 | 7.6 | None | 2.72 | 700 | Yes | Retired (27 + 2 failed) | |
Cygnus | USA | Orbital | Antares | 5.14 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 18.9 | None | 3.07 | 3,500 | No | Retired (3 + 1 failed) | |
Dragon 1 | USA | SpaceX | Falcon 9 | 6.1 | 4,200 | 10,200 | 3,310 (max) 2,200 (ave) | 10.0 / (14 or 34) | 3,000 | 3.7 | 2,000 | No | Retired (19 + 1 failed) |
ATV | Europe | Airbus | Ariane 5ES | 10.3 | 10,470 | 20,750 | 7,667 | 48 | None | 4.5 | 3,800 | Yes | Retired (5) |
HTV | Japan | JAXA | H-IIB | 10 | 10,500 | 16,500 | 3,000 / 1,000 | 14 / 16 | 20 | 4.4 | 200 | No | Retired (9) |
Tianzhou (basic) |
China | CAST | Long March 7 | 10.6 | 13,500 | 6,900 | 18.1 | None | 3.35 | Yes | Retired (5) | ||
Progress-MS | Russia | Energia | Soyuz 2.1a | 7.2 | 7,150 | 2,230 | None | Yes | Operational | ||||
Cargo Dragon 2 | USA | SpaceX | Falcon 9 | 8.1 | 6,400 | 3,307 | 9.3 / 37 | 2,507 | 4.0 | Yes | Operational | ||
Enhanced Cygnus | USA | Northrop Grumman | Antares | 6.39 | 1,800 | 3,750 | 27 | None | 3.07 | 3,500 | No | Operational | |
Tianzhou (improved) | China | CAST | Long March 7 | 10.6 | 14,000 | 7,400 | 22.5 (~40 total) | None | 3.35 | Yes | Operational | ||
Dream Chaser | USA | Sierra Space | Vulcan Centaur | 16.8 | 5,000 / 500 | 1,750 | ? | Development | |||||
HTV-X | Japan | JAXA | H3 | 10 | 8,300 | 16,000, combined | 4,069 / 1,750 | 78 | None | 4.4 | 1,000 | No | Development |
Cygnus Mission B | USA | Northrop Grumman | Antares | 7.89 | 5,000 | 36 | None | 3.07 | 3,500 | Planned | Under construction | ||
Dragon XL | USA | SpaceX | Falcon Heavy | 5,000 | None | Yes | Development | ||||||
Argo | Europe | Rocket Factory Augsburg | 3,400 | <13 | ≥1,000 | Yes | Development | ||||||
NYX | Europe | The Exploration Company | 4,000 | 2,500 / 100 | Yes | Development |
Notes
- With optional Raduga capsule.
- 4,200kg dry mass + 6,000 kg up mass
- In any combination of pressurized or unpressurized.
- 34 unpressurized with extended trunk
- Capsule return.
- With optional HSRC.
- Including propellant.
- Has also launched on Atlas V and Falcon 9.
- Including propellant.
- 10 with cargo module, 6.2 without.
- Combined.
- Technology trial of an automated IDSS docking port fitted in place of unpressurised cargo module being planned.
See also
- Comparison of crewed space vehicles
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
- Comparison of orbital rocket engines
References
- "Progress M". Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Cygnus Fast Sheet" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Co. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2012" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- "SpaceX Brochure v7" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ Audit of Commercial Resupply Services to the International Space Station Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- "Overall Dragon Capabilities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
- "Falcon 9 launches Dragon on CRS-1 mission to the ISS". 7 October 2012.
- "Dragonlab Datasheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- Clark, Stephen. "With successful splashdown, SpaceX retires first version of Dragon spacecraft – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2020-04-10.
- ^ "ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle". ESA. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- "ATV Utilization Relevant Data" (PDF). Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "JAXA transition examination of the new space station supply machine (HTV-X)" (PDF). JAXA. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- "HTV 搭載小型回収カプセルの開発" (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 2016-10-21.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (10 May 2023). "Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft reaches China's Tiangong space station". spacenews.com. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- "Upgraded Progress MS docks with the ISS". NASASpaceflight.com. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ "Cygnus Spacecraft Information". Spaceflight101. Archived from the original on 2015-09-09.
- Meredith Garofalo (February 2, 2024). "Sierra Space unveils Dream Chaser space plane ahead of 1st flight to ISS (video)". Space.com.
- ^ Brian Wang (January 22, 2024). "Sierra Space Spaceplane and Space Stations". Next Big Future.
- "H3,H-IIA/Bのミッション割当て(案)" (PDF) (in Japanese). MEXT. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
- "HTV-X, the new unmanned spacecraft now being developed by JAXA". JAXA. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- Funding for HTV-X development was included in the FY 2016 JAXA budget
- Parsonson, Andrew (2024-05-14). "Thales Alenia Space Delivers Pressurized Module for 21st Cygnus Spacecraft". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ^ "NASA picks SpaceX to deliver cargo to Gateway station in lunar orbit – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- Foust, Jeff (2023-02-24). "NASA plans to start work this year on first Gateway logistics mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- Parsonson, Andrew (20 September 2023). "RFA-Led Consortium Submit Argo for ESA Commercial Cargo Initiative". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- Rocket Factory Augsburg. "One (c)argo capsule, tons of possibilities!". Twitter. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- Parsonson, Andrew (23 February 2022). "The Exploration Company aims to offer Europe independent access to space". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- The Exploration Company. "Missions". Retrieved 22 September 2023.
Cargo spacecraft | ||
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Active | ||
In development | ||
Retired | ||
Proposed | ||
Cancelled | ||