Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
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[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 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] | 2,000[2] | 18.9[2] | None | 3.07 | 3,500[3] | No | Retired (3 + 1 failed) | |
Dragon (reusable) | USA | SpaceX | Falcon 9 | 6.1 | 4,200[4] | 10,200[b] | 6,000[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 | EADS | 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) |
Progress-MS | Russia | Energia | Soyuz-U Soyuz-2.1a |
7.2 | 7,150 | 2,230 | None | Yes | Operational[14] | ||||
Dragon 2 cargo (reusable) | USA | SpaceX | Falcon 9 | 8.1 | 6,400 | 6,000[15] | 9.3 / 37 | 3,000[15] | 4.0 | Yes | Operational | ||
Cygnus (enhanced) | USA | Northrop Grumman | Antares 230 Antares 230+ Atlas V 401 Antares 330 Falcon 9 |
6.34 | 1,800[16] | 3,500[16] | 27[16] | None | 3.07 | No | Operational | ||
Tianzhou | China | CAST | Long March 7 | 10.6 | 13,500 | 6,900[g] | 40 | None | 3.35 | Yes | Operational | ||
Soyuz GVK | Russia | Energia | Soyuz-2.1b | 7.23 | 8,020 | 1,966 | 500 | 2.72 | Yes | Development[17] | |||
Argo[18] (reusable) | Russia | MTKS | Soyuz-2.1b (initial) Soyuz-5 | 5.6 | up to 11,500 | 2,000 | 11.0 | 1,000 | 4.1 | Yes | Development | ||
Dream Chaser Cargo System (reusable) | USA | Sierra Nevada Corporation | Vulcan Centaur | 5,000 / 500[19] | 1,750[19] | Yes | Development | ||||||
HTV-X | Japan | JAXA | H3 Launch Vehicle[20] | 10[h] | 8,300 | 16,000, combined[21] | 4,069 / 1,750 | 78[i] | 4.4 | 1,000 | No[j] | Development[22] | |
Starship cargo (reusable) | USA | SpaceX | Super Heavy | 50[23] | 120,000[k][24] | 1,320,000[25] | 150,000[k][26] | 9[23] | Unknown | Development | |||
Smart Upper Stage for Innovative Exploration | Europe | ArianeGroup | Ariane 6 | 12[27] | 25,000 | 7,000[27] | 40[27] | 7,000[28] | 5.4[28] | Unknown | Development | ||
Universal Reentry Vehicle | USA | Intuitive Machines | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0 | 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Target payload.
See also
- Cargo spacecraft
- 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Bergin, Chris (19 October 2012). "Dragon enjoying ISS stay, despite minor issues – Falcon 9 investigation begins". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
CRS-2 will debut the use of Dragon's Trunk section, capable of delivering unpressurized cargo, prior to the payload being removed by the ISS' robotic assets after berthing.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Upgraded Progress MS docks with the ISS". NASASpaceflight.com. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Dragon". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ a b c "Cygnus Spacecraft Information". Spaceflight101. Archived from the original on 2015-09-09.
- ^ "Retrievable Soyuz GVK spacecraft". RussianSpaceWeb. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ "Russia will develop a new spacecraft to compete with Musk (In Russian)". Rbc. 30 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Sierra Nevada Hopes Dream Chaser Finds "Sweet Spot" of ISS Cargo Competition". SpaceNews. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "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 "Starship". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ Elon Musk (28 September 2019). Starship Update (video). SpaceX. Event occurs at 1:45. Retrieved 30 September 2019 – via YouTube.
- ^ Elon Musk on Twitter: 3 sea level optimized Raptors, 3 vacuum optimized Raptors (big nozzle)
- ^ Elon Musk on Twitter: 150mT for reference payload compared to other rockets.
- ^ a b c "Is Europe Building its Own Starship? Not Exactly". Universe Today. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-20.
- ^ a b "ArianeGroup: Raumkapsel "Susie" für Fracht und bis zu fünf Menschen vorgestellt" (in German). heise online. Retrieved 2022-09-20.