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

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

Orbital and interplanetary space vehicles

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)
Gemini USA McDonnell Aircraft
Martin 		LEO Titan II GLV
Titan IIIC 		2 5.56 3.05 3,790 Fuel cells Parachute splashdown (one drogue, one main) 1965 (1964) 1966 10
(2)
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)
Space Shuttle orbiter USA Rockwell International LEO Space Shuttle 8 37.24 4.8 109,000 Fuel cells Runway landing (with one pilot and one drogue chute from mid-1990s) 12,500/16,000 1981 2011 135
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)
Voskhod Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Voskhod 3 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)
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)
Soyuz 7KT-OK Soviet Union OKB-1 LEO Soyuz 3 7.48 2.72 6,790 Solar panels Parachute landing 1971 1971 2
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)
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 4.65 105,000 Fuel cells Runway landing with three drogue chutes 30,000 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 8.1 3.7 12,055 Solar Panels Parachute splashdown (two drogues, four mains), propulsive landing or splashdown for emergencies 3,307/2,507 2020 (2019) Active 19 (1)
CST-100 Starliner USA Boeing LEO Atlas V 7 5.03 4.56 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 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)
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 Starship 100 55 9 1,335,000 Solar Panels Propulsive landing (booster stage caught by mechanical arms on the launch tower when landing on launch site) 2023 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 7 11,300 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

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
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 1963 2
SpaceShipTwo USA Virgin Galactic 90 km White Knight Two
RocketMotorTwo 		8 18.3 8.3 9,740 Batteries Runway landing December 13, 2018 2024 2
New Shepard USA Blue Origin 119 km New Shepard
BE-3 		6 18 3.7 75,000 Batteries Parachute landing (three drogues, three mains) with retrorockets 2021
(2015) 		14 (34)
Spica Rocket Denmark Copenhagen Suborbitals 105 km BPM100 1 13 1 4,100 Batteries Parachute splashdown 2025 Early Development 0

Footnotes

  1. Including 2 suborbital flights, not including boilerplate tests
  2. One uncrewed launch on Titan IIIC ahead of proposed use in MOL programme
  3. 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. to date only 45,000

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