Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
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.
Table code key
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Spacecraft under development
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Spacecraft is operational or inactive
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Retired or cancelled spacecraft
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§
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Pressurized / Unpressurized payload capacity
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Spacecraft
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Origin
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Manufacturer
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Launch system
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Length (m)
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Dry mass (kg)
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Launch mass (kg)
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Payload (kg) §
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Payload volume (m3)
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Return payload (kg)
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Diameter (m)
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Generated power (W)
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Automated docking
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Status (No. flights)
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TKS
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Soviet Union
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TsKBM
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Proton-K
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17.51
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13,688
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21,620
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12,600
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|
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4.15
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2,400
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No
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Retired (4)
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Progress 7K-TG
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Soviet Union
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Energia
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Soyuz-U
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|
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|
|
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None
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No
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Retired (43)
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Progress-M 11F615A55
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Soviet Union
Russia
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Energia
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Soyuz-U Soyuz-U2
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7.2
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7,130
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2,600
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7.6
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150[a]
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2.72
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600[1]
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Yes
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Retired (66)
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Progress-M1
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Russia
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Energia
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Soyuz-U Soyuz-FG
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|
|
|
|
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None
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|
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Yes
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Retired (11)
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Progress-M 11F615A60
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Russia
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Energia
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Soyuz-U Soyuz-2.1a
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7.2
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7,150
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2,230
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7.6
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None
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2.72
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700
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Yes
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Retired (27 + 2 failed)
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Cygnus
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USA
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Orbital
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Antares 1x0
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5.14
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1,500[2]
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2,000[2]
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18.9[2]
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None
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3.07
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3,500[3]
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No
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Retired (3 + 1 failed)
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Dragon
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USA
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SpaceX
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Falcon 9
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6.1
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4,200[4]
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10,200[b]
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3,310 (max) 2,200 (ave)[c][5]
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10.0 / (14 or 34)[d][6]
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3,000[e][7]
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3.7
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2,000[8]
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No
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Retired (19 + 1 failed)[9]
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ATV
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Europe
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EADS
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Ariane 5ES
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10.3
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10,470[10]
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20,750[10]
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7,667[10]
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48
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None
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4.5
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3,800[11]
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Yes
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Retired (5)
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HTV
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Japan
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JAXA
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H-IIB
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10
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10,500[12]
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16,500[12]
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3,000 / 1,000[12]
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14 / 16[12]
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20[f][13]
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4.4
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200
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No
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Retired (9)
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Tianzhou (basic)
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China
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CAST
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Long March 7
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10.6
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13,500
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6,900[g][14]
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18.1
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None
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3.35
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Yes
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Retired (5)
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Progress-MS
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Russia
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Energia
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Soyuz-U Soyuz-2.1a
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7.2
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7,150
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2,230
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None
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Yes
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Operational[15]
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Cargo Dragon
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USA
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SpaceX
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Falcon 9
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8.1
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6,400
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3,307[5]
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9.3 / 37
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2,507[5]
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4.0
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Yes
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Operational
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Enhanced Cygnus
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USA
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Northrop Grumman
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Antares Atlas V Falcon 9
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6.39
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1,800[16]
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3,750
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27[16]
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None
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3.07
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3,500
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No
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Operational
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Tianzhou (improved)
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China
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CAST
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Long March 7
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10.6
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14,000
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7,400[h][14]
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22.5 (~40 total)
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None
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3.35
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Yes
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Operational
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Dream Chaser Cargo System (reusable)
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USA
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Sierra Space
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Vulcan Centaur
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16.8[17]
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5,000 / 500[18]
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1,750[18]
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Yes
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Development
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HTV-X
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Japan
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JAXA
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H3[19]
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10[i]
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8,300
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16,000, combined[20]
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4,069 / 1,750
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78[j]
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4.4
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1,000
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No[k]
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Development[21]
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Cygnus Mission B
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USA
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Northrop Grumman
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Antares
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7.89
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|
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5,000
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36
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None
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3.07
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3,500
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Planned
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Under construction[22]
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Dragon XL
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USA
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SpaceX
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Falcon 9
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|
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5,000[23]
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None
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Yes[23]
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Development[24]
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Argo
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Europe
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Rocket Factory Augsburg
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|
|
|
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3,400
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<13
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Greater than or equal to 1 Ton [25]
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|
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Yes
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Development[26]
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NYX
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Europe
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The Exploration Company
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|
|
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4,000
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2500 pressurized and 100 unpressurized[27]
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|
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Yes
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Development[28]
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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.
- ^ 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
References
- ^ "Progress M". Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b c "ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle". ESA. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ^ "ATV Utilization Relevant Data" (PDF). Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d "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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b "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.
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Active | | |
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In development | |
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Retired | |
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Proposed | |
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Cancelled | |
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