Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
A collage of automated cargo spacecraft used in the past or present to resupply the
International Space Station
A number of different spacecraft have been used to carry cargo to and from space stations.
Table code key
|
Spacecraft under development
|
|
Spacecraft is operational or inactive
|
|
Retired or cancelled spacecraft
|
§
|
Pressurized / Unpressurized payload capacity
|
Orbital space vehicles
Spacecraft
|
Origin
|
Manufacturer
|
Launch system
|
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
|
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 Soyuz-2.1a
|
7.2
|
|
7,150
|
2,230
|
7.6
|
None
|
2.72
|
700
|
Yes
|
Retired (27 + 2 failed)
|
Cygnus (standard)
|
USA
|
Orbital
|
Antares 1x0
|
5.14
|
1,500
|
|
2,000
|
18.9
|
None
|
3.07
|
3,500
|
No
|
Retired (3 + 1 failed)
|
Dragon (reusable)
|
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
|
EADS
|
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-U Soyuz-2.1a
|
7.2
|
|
7,150
|
2,230
|
|
None
|
|
|
Yes
|
Operational
|
Dragon 2 cargo (reusable)
|
USA
|
SpaceX
|
Falcon 9
|
8.1
|
6,400
|
|
3,307
|
9.3 / 37
|
2,507
|
4.0
|
|
Yes
|
Operational
|
Cygnus (enhanced)
|
USA
|
Northrop Grumman
|
Antares 230 Antares 230+ Atlas V 401 Antares 330 Falcon 9
|
6.34
|
1,800
|
|
3,750
|
27
|
None
|
3.07
|
|
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 Cargo System (reusable)
|
USA
|
Sierra Space
|
Vulcan Centaur
|
16.8
|
|
|
5,000 / 500
|
|
1,750
|
|
|
Yes
|
Development
|
HTV-X
|
Japan
|
JAXA
|
H3 Launch Vehicle
|
10
|
8,300
|
16,000, combined
|
4,069 / 1,750
|
78
|
|
4.4
|
1,000
|
No
|
Development
|
Cygnus (Mission B)
|
USA
|
Northrop Grumman
|
Antares 330
|
|
|
|
5,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dragon XL
|
USA
|
SpaceX
|
Falcon 9
|
|
|
|
5,000
|
|
None
|
|
|
Yes
|
Development
|
Argo
|
Europe
|
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA)
|
Launch Vehicle Ambiguous
|
|
|
|
3,400
|
<13
|
Greater than or equal to 1 Ton
|
|
|
Yes
|
Development
|
NYX
|
Europe
|
The Exploration Company
|
Launch Vehicle Ambiguous
|
|
|
|
4,000
|
|
2500 pressurized and 100 unpressurized
|
|
|
Yes
|
Development
|
Notes
- ^ With optional Raduga capsule.
- ^ 4,200kg dry mass + 6,000kg 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
- ^ 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.