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Comparison of crewed space vehicles

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A number of different spacecraft have been used to carry people to and from outer space.

Table code key

[edit]
Spacecraft under development
Spacecraft is operational
Retired spacecraft
‡ Payload To / From the ISS
§ Crewed (Uncrewed)
[Includes failures]

Orbital and interplanetary space vehicles

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Spacecraft Origin Manufacturer Range Launch system Crew size Length (m) Diameter (m) Launch mass (kg) Power system Recovery method Payload (kg) ‡ First spaceflight § Last spaceflight Flights §
Mercury  USA McDonnell Aircraft
North American Aviation 		LEO
attained 		Redstone MRLV
Atlas LV-3B 		1 3.34 1.89 1,400 Batteries Parachute splashdown (one drogue, one main) 1961 (1960) 1963 6
(12)[note 1]
Gemini  USA McDonnell Aircraft
Martin 		LEO Titan II GLV
Titan IIIC[note 2] 		2 5.56 3.05 3,790 Fuel cells Parachute splashdown (one drogue, one main) 1965 (1964) 1966 10
(2)[note 3]
Apollo  USA North American Aviation
Grumman and Douglas 		Lunar Saturn IB
Saturn V 		3 8.5 3.91 5,500 CM + 14,700 LM +
24,500 Service Module 		Fuel cells Parachute splashdown (two drogues, three pilots, three mains) 1967 (1966) 1975 15
(4)[note 3]
Space Shuttle orbiter  USA Rockwell International LEO Space Shuttle 8[note 4] 37.24 4.8[note 5] 109,000 Fuel cells Runway landing (with one pilot and one drogue chute from mid-1990s) 12,500/16,000 1981 2011 135[note 6]
Soyuz 7K-T  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz
Soyuz-U 		2 7.48 2.72 6,830 Batteries Parachute landing 1973 1981 26 (4)[note 7]
Voskhod  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Voskhod 3[note 8] 5 2.4 5,682 Batteries Parachute landing 1964 (1964) 1965 2 (3)
Vostok  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO
first 		Vostok-K 1 4.4 2.43 4,725 Batteries Parachute landing 1961 (1960) 1963 6 (7)[note 9]
Soyuz 7K-OK  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz 3 7.48 2.72 6,560 Solar panels Parachute landing 1967 (1966) 1970 8 (8)[note 10]
Soyuz 7KT-OK  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz 3 7.48 2.72 6,790 Solar panels Parachute landing 1971 1971 2[note 11]
Soyuz 7K-T-AF  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz 2 7.48 2.72 6,570 Solar panels Parachute landing 1973 1973 1
Soyuz 7K-TM  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz-U 2 7.48 2.72 6,570 Solar panels Parachute landing 1974 1975 2 (2)
Soyuz 7K-MF6  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz-U 2 7.48 2.72 6,510 Solar panels Parachute landing 1976 1976 1
Soyuz-T  Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz-U
Soyuz-U2 		3 7.48 2.72 6,850 Solar panels Parachute landing 1978 1986 15 (6)[note 12]
Soyuz-TM  Soviet Union
 Russia 		RKK Energia LEO Soyuz-U2
Soyuz-U 		3 7.48 2.72 7,250 Solar panels Parachute landing 1986 2002 33 (1)
Buran  Soviet Union RKK Energia LEO Energia 10 36.37 4.65 [note 13] 105,000 Fuel cells Runway landing with three drogue chutes 30,000 [note 14] N/A (1988) (1988) 0 (1)
Soyuz-TMA
11F732 		 Russia RKK Energia LEO Soyuz-FG 3 7.48 2.72 7,250 Solar panels Parachute landing with retrorockets 2002 2012 22
Soyuz TMA-M
11F747 		 Russia RKK Energia LEO Soyuz-FG 3 7.48 2.72 7,150 Solar panels Parachute landing with retrorockets 2010 2016 19
Shenzhou  China China Academy of Space Technology LEO Chang Zheng 2F 3 9.25 2.80 7,840 Solar panels Parachute landing 2003 (1999) Active 12 (5)
Soyuz MS
  Russia RKK Energia LEO Soyuz-2.1a 3 7.48 2.72 7,080 Solar panels Parachute landing with retrorockets 2016 Active 22 (2)
Crew Dragon  USA SpaceX LEO Falcon 9 4[1] 8.1[2] 3.7[3] 12,055[4] Solar Panels Parachute splashdown (two drogues, four mains), propulsive landing or splashdown for emergencies[5] 3,307/2,507 2020 (2019) Active 11 (1)
CST-100 Starliner  USA Boeing LEO Atlas V 7 [note 15][6] 5.03 [7] 4.56 [7] 13,000 Solar panels Parachute landing (two forward cover chutes, two drogues, three pilots and three mains) with airbags 2024 (2019) Active 1 (2)
Orion  USA Lockheed Martin
Astrium 		Lunar, Mars Space Launch System 4[note 16] 3.3 5 8,900 capsule +
12,300 service module 		Solar panels Parachute splashdown (two drogues, three pilots and three mains) 2025 (2014) Testing 0 (2)[note 17]
Mengzhou  China China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation LEO, Lunar Long March 10 7 8.8 4.5 21,600 Solar panels 2026 (2020) Testing 0
(1)
Gaganyaan  India Indian Space Research Organization LEO GSLV Mk III 3 7 3.5 7,800 Solar Panels Parachute splashdown (with drogues and mains) (Planned: 2024) Planned 0
Starship  USA SpaceX Solar System[8][note 18] Starship 100 [note 19] 55 [8] 9 [8][note 20] 1,335,000 [8] Solar Panels Propulsive landing (caught by mechanical arms on the launch tower when landing on launch site) (Planned: 2023) [8] Testing 0
Orel
  Russia RKK Energia LEO,Lunar Irtysh (rocket)
Angara A5 		6 6.1 37,478 Solar panels (Planned: 2028) Planned 0
Dream Chaser  USA Sierra Nevada Corporation LEO Vulcan Centaur 7 [9][10] 9 [11] 7 [note 21] 11,300 [12] Solar panels Runway landing TBA Planned 0
Biconic Space Vehicle  USA Blue Origin LEO New Glenn 7 98 7 TBA Planned 0
Nyx  Germany  France The Exploration Company LEO,Lunar Ariane 6 or Falcon 9 4 8,000 Solar panels 4,000 LEO, 2,000 Lunar TBA Planned 0


Suborbital space vehicles

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Spacecraft Origin Manufacturer Altitude Launch system Crew size Length (m) Diameter (m) Launch mass (kg) Power system Generated power (W) Recovery method First spaceflight § Last spaceflight Flights §
SpaceShipOne  USA Scaled Composites 112 km
X Prize 		White Knight
Hybrid Motor 		1 8.53 8.05 3,600 Batteries Runway landing 2004 2004 3[note 22]
X-15  USA North American Aviation 108 km
altitude 		B-52
Ammonia-LOX 		1 15.45 6.8 15,420 Two 28 volt-300 amp DC generators Runway landing 1963[note 23] 1963 2[note 24]
SpaceShipTwo  USA Virgin Galactic 90 km White Knight Two
RocketMotorTwo 		8[note 25] 18.3 8.3 9,740 Batteries Runway landing December 13, 2018 2[note 26]
New Shepard  USA Blue Origin 119 km New Shepard
BE-3 		6 18 3.7 75,000 [note 27] Batteries Parachute landing (three drogues, three mains) 2021
(2015) 		6 (17)
Spica Rocket  Denmark Copenhagen Suborbitals 105 km BPM100 1 13 1 4,100 Batteries Parachute splashdown 2025 Early Development 0
SpaceShip III  USA Virgin Galactic Approximately 90 km White Knight Two 8[note 28] 18.3 8.3 9,740 Batteries Runway landing Unknown Undergoing initial ground testing 0[note 29]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Including 2 suborbital flights, not including boilerplate tests
  2. ^ One uncrewed launch on Titan IIIC ahead of proposed use in MOL programme
  3. ^ a b Not including boilerplate tests
  4. ^ No missions carried more than eight astronauts, although higher crew sizes were theoretically possible, for example recovering the crew of a stranded orbiter.
  5. ^ Wingspan 23.79m
  6. ^ Includes two fatal accidents; STS-51-L disintegrated during ascent, STS-107 damaged during ascent, disintegrated during reentry.
  7. ^ Crewed flights include one launch failure - abort during third stage flight, recovered after suborbital flight
  8. ^ Able to carry three cosmonauts without spacesuits, or two with spacesuits; both combinations flown
  9. ^ Uncrewed flight count includes two launch failures
  10. ^ Crewed flights include one fatal in-flight failure; Soyuz 1 lost due to parachute failure upon landing.
  11. ^ Crewed flights include one fatal in-flight failure; Soyuz 11 depressurised during reentry.
  12. ^ Crewed flights include one launch failure (SAS (launch escape system) used ~70 seconds before planned liftoff due to fire on launch pad - crew survived)
  13. ^ Wingspan 23.92m
  14. ^ planned payload, never used
  15. ^ Each mission in the Commercial Crew Program will send up to four astronauts to the ISS
  16. ^ Originally set to launch up to 6 astronauts, when designed for transportation of crew to the ISS under the Constellation Program
  17. ^ Including uncrewed test in 2014
  18. ^ Designed to land almost everywhere in the solar system
  19. ^ Number of seats will be lower on early missions
  20. ^ Plus delta wings
  21. ^ Including wings
  22. ^ Does not include crewed atmospheric flights
  23. ^ Does not include only-U.S.-recognized spaceflights
  24. ^ Does not include atmospheric flights, or missions considered spaceflights by the US definition but not the FAI's definition
  25. ^ 2 crew + 6 passengers
  26. ^ Does not include crewed atmospheric flights
  27. ^ todate only 45,000
  28. ^ 2 crew + 6 passengers
  29. ^ Does not include crewed atmospheric flights

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Clark, Stephen (7 December 2019). "After redesigns, the finish line is in sight for SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2020. 'With [the addition of parachutes] and the angle of the seats, we could not get seven anymore', Shotwell said. "So now we only have four seats. That was kind of a big change for us".
  2. ^ "Falcon 9". SpaceX. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  3. ^ "SpaceX Brochure – 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  4. ^ Clark, Stephen. "SpaceX's Crew Dragon ready for first test flight – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  5. ^ McCrea, Aaron (2024-10-10). "Dragon receives long-planned propulsive landing upgrade after years of development". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  6. ^ Reichhardt, Tony (August 2018). "Astronauts, Your Ride's Here!". Air & Space/Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b Burghardt, Mike (August 2011). "Boeing CST-100: Commercial Crew Transportation System" (PDF). Boeing. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Making Life Multiplanetary" (PDF). SpaceX. 2017-10-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-19. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
  9. ^ "Dream Chaser Model Drops in at NASA Dryden" (Press release). Dryden Flight Research Center: NASA. 2010-12-17. Archived from the original on 2012-06-12. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  10. ^ Chang, Kenneth (2011-02-01). "Businesses Take Flight, With Help From NASA". New York Times. p. D1. Archived from the original on 2017-09-11. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  11. ^ Wade, Mark (2014). "Dream Chaser". Encyclopedia Astronautix. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  12. ^ Sirangelo, Mark (August 2011). "NewSpace 2011: Sierra Nevada Corporation". Spacevidcast. Retrieved 2011-08-16. Sirangelo, Mark (24 August 2014). "Flight Plans and Crews for Commercial Dream Chaser's First Flights: One-on-One Interview With SNC VP Mark Sirangelo (Part 3)". AmericaSpace.
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