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Cargo spacecraft

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Cargo spacecraft

Cargo spacecraft are robotic spacecraft that are designed to support space station operation by transporting food, propellant and other supplies. This is different from space probes, whose missions are to conduct scientific investigations.

Contents

Automated cargo spacecraft have been used since 1978 and have serviced Salyut 6, Salyut 7, Mir and the International Space Station.

Current spacecraft

  • the Russian Progress spacecraft—developed by Russian Federal Space Agency
  • the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle—developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • the American Dragon spacecraft—developed under contract from NASA by SpaceX, a private spaceflight company
  • the American Cygnus spacecraft—developed under contract from NASA by Orbital ATK, a private spaceflight company

    • Defunct or retired projects

  • the Soviet optionally-manned TKS spacecraft
  • the European Automated Transfer Vehicle—developed by the European Space Agency. The last vehicle, Georges Lemaître ATV, completed its mission in February, 2015.

    • Spacecraft in development

  • a Chinese cargo craft based on Tiangong-1 that will have a maximum diameter of 3.35 meters and a launch weight less than 13 tons.
  • A variant of the CST-100 crew transportation vehicle has been proposed by Boeing for cargo delivery.
  • In January 2016, NASA announced that Dream Chaser had been awarded one of the contracts under CRS2. NASA committed to purchasing a minimum of six resupply missions to the ISS from Sierra Nevada.

    • Canceled projects

  • The American private-sector Kistler K-1 from Rocketplane Kistler saw its contract with NASA terminated in October 2007 when the company failed to meet objectives. The contract was re-awarded to Orbital Sciences Corporation.

    • References

    Cargo spacecraft Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA