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. This list does not include crewed spacecraft.

Table code key
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 (m3) 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[a] 2.72 600[1] 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] 2,000[2] 18.9[2] None 3.07 3,500[3] No Retired (3 + 1 failed)
Dragon 1  USA SpaceX Falcon 9 6.1 4,200[4] 10,200[b] 3,310 (max) 2,200 (ave)[c][5] 10.0 / (14 or 34)[d][6] 3,000[e][7] 3.7 2,000[8] No Retired (19 + 1 failed)[9]
ATV  Europe Airbus Ariane 5ES 10.3 10,470[10] 20,750[10] 7,667[10] 48 None 4.5 3,800[11] Yes Retired (5)
HTV  Japan JAXA H-IIB 10 10,500[12] 16,500[12] 3,000 / 1,000[12] 14 / 16[12] 20[f][13] 4.4 200 No Retired (9)
Tianzhou
(basic) 		 China CAST Long March 7 10.6 13,500 6,900[g][14] 18.1 None 3.35 Yes Retired (5)
Progress-MS  Russia Energia Soyuz 2.1a 7.2 7,150 2,230 None Yes Operational[15]
Cargo Dragon 2  USA SpaceX Falcon 9 8.1 6,400 3,307[5] 9.3 / 37 2,507[5] 4.0 Yes Operational
Enhanced Cygnus  USA Northrop Grumman Antares[h] 6.39 1,800[16] 3,750 27[16] None 3.07 3,500 No Operational
Tianzhou (improved)  China CAST Long March 7 10.6 14,000 7,400[i][14] 22.5 (~40 total) None 3.35 Yes Operational
Dream Chaser  USA Sierra Space Vulcan Centaur 16.8[17] 5,000 / 500[18] 1,750[18] ? Development
HTV-X  Japan JAXA H3[19] 10[j] 8,300 16,000, combined[20] 4,069 / 1,750 78[k] None 4.4 1,000 No[l] Development[21]
Cygnus Mission B  USA Northrop Grumman Antares 7.89 5,000 36 None 3.07 3,500 Planned Under construction[22]
Dragon XL  USA SpaceX Falcon Heavy 5,000[23] None Yes[23] Development[24]
Argo  Europe Rocket Factory Augsburg 3,400 <13 ≥1,000[25] Yes Development[26]
NYX  Europe The Exploration Company 4,000 2,500 / 100[27] Yes Development[28]

Notes

  1. ^ With optional Raduga capsule.
  2. ^ 4,200kg dry mass + 6,000 kg up mass
  3. ^ In any combination of pressurized or unpressurized.
  4. ^ 34 unpressurized with extended trunk
  5. ^ Capsule return.
  6. ^ With optional HSRC.
  7. ^ Including propellant.
  8. ^ Has also launched on Atlas V and Falcon 9.
  9. ^ Including propellant.
  10. ^ 10 with cargo module, 6.2 without.
  11. ^ Combined.
  12. ^ Technology trial of an automated IDSS docking port fitted in place of unpressurised cargo module being planned.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Progress M". Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Cygnus Fast Sheet" (PDF). Orbital Sciences Co. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  3. ^ "The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2012" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  4. ^ "SpaceX Brochure v7" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Audit of Commercial Resupply Services to the International Space Station Archived 30 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Overall Dragon Capabilities" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  7. ^ "Falcon 9 launches Dragon on CRS-1 mission to the ISS". 7 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Dragonlab Datasheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  9. ^ Clark, Stephen. "With successful splashdown, SpaceX retires first version of Dragon spacecraft – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  10. ^ a b c "ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle". ESA. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  11. ^ "ATV Utilization Relevant Data" (PDF). Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  12. ^ a b c d "JAXA transition examination of the new space station supply machine (HTV-X)" (PDF). JAXA. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ a b Jones, Andrew (10 May 2023). "Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft reaches China's Tiangong space station". spacenews.com. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Upgraded Progress MS docks with the ISS". NASASpaceflight.com. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Cygnus Spacecraft Information". Spaceflight101. Archived from the original on 2015-09-09.
  17. ^ Meredith Garofalo (February 2, 2024). "Sierra Space unveils Dream Chaser space plane ahead of 1st flight to ISS (video)". Space.com.
  18. ^ a b Brian Wang (January 22, 2024). "Sierra Space Spaceplane and Space Stations". Next Big Future.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ "HTV-X, the new unmanned spacecraft now being developed by JAXA". JAXA. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  21. ^ Funding for HTV-X development was included in the FY 2016 JAXA budget
  22. ^ Parsonson, Andrew (2024-05-14). "Thales Alenia Space Delivers Pressurized Module for 21st Cygnus Spacecraft". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
  23. ^ a b "NASA picks SpaceX to deliver cargo to Gateway station in lunar orbit – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  24. ^ Foust, Jeff (2023-02-24). "NASA plans to start work this year on first Gateway logistics mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  25. ^ Parsonson, Andrew (20 September 2023). "RFA-Led Consortium Submit Argo for ESA Commercial Cargo Initiative". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  26. ^ Rocket Factory Augsburg. "One (c)argo capsule, tons of possibilities!". Twitter. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  27. ^ Parsonson, Andrew (23 February 2022). "The Exploration Company aims to offer Europe independent access to space". European Spaceflight. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  28. ^ The Exploration Company. "Missions". Retrieved 22 September 2023.