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)	Docking method	Status (No. flights)
TKS	Soviet Union	TsKBM	Proton-K	17.51	13,688	21,620	12,600			4.15	2,400	Remote control	Retired (4)
Progress 7K-TG	Soviet Union	Energia	Soyuz-U						None			Remote control	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]	Automated docking	Retired (66)
Progress-M1	Russia	Energia	Soyuz-U Soyuz-FG						None			Automated docking	Retired (11)
Progress-M (11F615A60)	Russia	Energia	Soyuz-U	7.2		7,150	2,230	7.6	None	2.72	700	Automated docking	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]	Canadarm berthing	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]	Canadarm berthing	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]	Automated docking	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	Canadarm berthing	Retired (9)
Tianzhou (basic)	China	CAST	Long March 7	10.6		13,500	6,900 [g] [14]	18.1	None	3.35		Automated docking	Retired (5)
Progress-MS	Russia	Energia	Soyuz 2.1a	7.2		7,150	2,230		None			Automated docking	Operational [15]
Cargo Dragon 2	USA	SpaceX	Falcon 9	8.1	6,400		3,307 [5]	9.3 / 37	2,507 [5]	4.0		Automated docking	Operational
Enhanced Cygnus	USA	Northrop Grumman	Antares [h]	6.39	1,800 [16]		3,750	27 [16]	None	3.07	3,500	Canadarm berthing	Operational
Tianzhou (improved)	China	CAST	Long March 7	10.6		14,000	7,400 [i] [14]	22.5(~40 total)	None	3.35		Automated docking	Operational
Dream Chaser	USA	Sierra Space	Vulcan Centaur	16.8 [17]			5,000 / 500 [18]		1,750 [18]			Unknown so far	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	Canadarm berthing [l]	Development [21]
Cygnus Mission B	USA	Northrop Grumman	Antares	7.89			5,000	36	None	3.07	3,500	Planned automated docking	Under construction [22]
Dragon XL	USA	SpaceX	Falcon Heavy				5,000 [23]		None			Automated docking [23]	Development [24]
Argo	Europe	Rocket Factory Augsburg					3,400	<13	≥1,000 [25]			Automated docking	Development [26]
NYX	Europe	The Exploration Company					4,000		2,500 / 100 [27]			Automated docking	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

• Comparison of crewed space vehicles
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Comparison of orbital rocket engines

References

1. "Progress M". Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
2. "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. 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. "ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle". ESA. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
11. "ATV Utilization Relevant Data" (PDF). Retrieved 29 May 2012.
12. "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. 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. "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. 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. "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.