The most massive artificial objects to reach space include space stations, various upper stages, and discarded Space Shuttle external tanks. Spacecraft may change mass over time such as by use of propellant.
During the Shuttle–Mir program between 1994 and 1998, the complex formed by the docking of a visiting Space Shuttle with Mir would temporarily make it heaviest artificial object in orbit with a combined mass of 250 tonnes (250 long tons ; 280 short tons ) in a 1995 configuration. [1] [2]
Currently the heaviest spacecraft is the International Space Station, nearly double Shuttle-Mir's mass in orbit. It began assembly with a first launch in 1998, however it only attained its full weight in the 2020s, due to its modular nature and gradual additions. Its mass can change significantly depending on what modules are added or removed.
The following are a list of spacecraft with a mass greater than 8,000 kg (17,637 lb), or the top three to any other orbit including a planetary orbit, or the top three of a specific category of vehicle, or the heaviest vehicle from a specific nation. All numbers listed below for satellites use their mass at launch, if not otherwise stated.
Name | Mass | Description | Orbit | State | In service from |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
International Space Station | 450,000 kg (992,080 lb) | Space station Listed mass includes attached vehicles and is estimated by ESA. [3] Completed station mass is 419,725kg [4] [5] | LEO | In service | 1998– (at present size: 2021) |
Starship Ship 28 | 200,000 kg (440,925 lb) [6] | Mass is a rough estimate and includes 100 tons of remaining propellant. [6] Demonstrated it could reach LEO. | Suborbital | Deorbited | 2024 |
Mir | 129,700 kg (285,940 lb) | Soviet / Russian space station | LEO | Deorbited 2001 | 1986–2001 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-117 | 122,683 kg (270,470 lb) | Heaviest flight of the Space Shuttle with S3/S4 truss. | LEO | Retired | 1985–2011 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-115 | 122,397 kg (269,839 lb) | P3/P4 truss, assembly flight 12A | LEO | Retired | 1985–2011 |
Buran | 105,000 kg (231,485 lb) | Soviet reusable orbiter of the Buran programme on flight 1K1. [7] | LEO | Retired | 1988 |
Tiangong | 102,000 kg (224,872 lb) | Chinese space station, with Tianzhou 5 & 6 attached. | LEO | In service | 2021– |
Skylab | 77,111 kg (170,001 lb) | U.S. space station; largest station orbited in one launch | LEO | Deorbited 1979 | 1973–1979 |
Apollo 16 CSM+LM | 52,759 kg (116,314 lb) | Heaviest spacecraft sent to lunar orbit. First mission to land in Lunar Highlands. Command module is on display in Alabama | Moon | Retired | 1972 |
Apollo 12 CSM+LM | 49,915 kg (110,044 lb) | LEM landed at Sinus Medii a small Lunar mare. Command module is on display in Virginia. | Moon | Retired | 1969 |
Artemis 1 Orion CM + ESM | 25,861 kg (57,014 lb) | U.S. crewed spacecraft for entering lunar orbit | Moon | In service | 2022- |
ATV-5 | 20,293 kg (44,738 lb) | European cargo spacecraft on its heaviest flight | LEO | Retired | 2008–2014 |
Salyut 7 | 19,824 kg (43,704 lb) | USSR space station | LEO | Deorbited 1991 | 1982–1991 |
KH-11 | 19,600 kg (43,211 lb) [8] | Electro-optical reconnaissance satellite | SSO | In service | 1976– (current version: 2005–) |
Salyut 1 | 18,425 kg (40,620 lb) | USSR space station | LEO | Deorbited 1971 | 1971–1971 |
TKS | 17,510 kg (38,603 lb) | Soviet crewed spacecraft | LEO | Retired | 1977–1985 |
Proton satellite | 17,000 kg (37,479 lb) | Space research satellite | LEO | Deorbited 1969 | 1965–1969 |
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory | 16,329 kg (35,999 lb) | Space observatory [9] | LEO | Deorbited 2000 | 1991–2000 |
Lacrosse | 14,500 kg (31,967 lb)- 16,000 kg (35,274 lb) | Radar imaging reconnaissance satellite [10] | SSO | Retired Lacrosse 5 still in orbit | 1988–2005 |
Hubble Space Telescope | 11,110 kg (24,493 lb) | Space observatory [11] | LEO | In service | 1990– |
Jupiter-3 (EchoStar-24) | 9,200 kg (20,283 lb) | Communications satellite | GEO | In service | 2023– |
Tiangong-2 | 8,600 kg (18,960 lb) | Chinese space station | LEO | Deorbited 2019 | 2016–2019 |
Tiangong-1 | 8,506 kg (18,753 lb) | Chinese space station | LEO | Deorbited 2018 | 2011–2016 |
Envisat | 8,211 kg (18,102 lb) | Earth observing satellite [12] [13] Kessler syndrome threat [14] | LEO | In orbit, inoperable | 2002–2012 |
Chang'e 5/6 | 8,200 kg (18,078 lb) | Chinese lunar sample return | Moon | In service | 2020– |
Shijian-20 | 8,000 kg (17,637 lb) | Communication Technology Test Satellite [15] | GEO | In service | 2019– |
Telstar 19V | 7,075 kg (15,598 lb) | Communications satellite | GEO | In service | 2018– |
TerreStar-1 | 6,910 kg (15,234 lb) | Communications satellite | GEO | In service | 2009– |
EchoStar XXI | 6,871 kg (15,148 lb) | Communications satellite [16] | GEO | In service | 2017– |
UARS | 6,540 kg (14,418 lb) | Earth science [17] | LEO | Deorbited 2011 | 1991–2005 |
James Webb Space Telescope | 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) | Space observatory | Sun-Earth L2 | In service | 2021– |
Phobos 1 | 6,220 kg (13,713 lb) | Soviet Mars Spacecraft that missed its orbital insertion burn | Solar Orbit | Lost contact 1988 | 1988 |
Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer | 5,963 kg (13,146 lb) | Jupiter science probe and Ganymede orbiter with an ETA in 2031. | Solar Orbit on route to Ganymede | In service | 2023– |
Falcon Heavy test flight | 5,900 kg (13,007 lb) | Maiden flight of Falcon Heavy with Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster , COSPAR 2018-017A | Solar Orbit | Lost contact 2018 | 2018 |
Chandra X-ray Obs. | 5,865 kg (12,930 lb) | Space observatory [18] | HEO | In service | 1999– |
GSAT-11 | 5,854 kg (12,906 lb) | Heaviest Indian communications satellite [19] | GEO | In service | 2018– |
Cassini-Huygens | 5,655 kg (12,467 lb) | Saturn orbiter and Titan probe [20] | Saturn | Deorbited 2017 | 1997–2017 |
Venera 15 & 16 | 5,300 kg (11,684 lb) | Venus orbiter | Venus | Retired | 1983–1985 |
Venera 10 | 5,033 kg (11,096 lb) | Venus orbiter & lander | Venus | Last contact 1976 | 1975–1976 |
Tianwen-1 | 5,000 kg (11,023 lb) | Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter, deployable and remote cameras, lander and Zhurong rover | Mars | In service | 2021– |
Terra | 4,864 kg (10,723 lb) | Earth observing satellite | SSO | In service | 1999– |
Mars 2 | 4,650 kg (10,251 lb) | Soviet Mars orbiter and lander | Mars | Retired | 1971–1972 |
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter | 4,332 kg (9,550 lb) | Mars orbiter (including Schiaparelli EDM lander) [21] | Mars | In service | 2016– |
GSAT-24 | 4,181 kg (9,218 lb) | Indian Communication Satellite | GEO | In service | 2022- |
Chandrayaan-3 | 3900 kg (8,598 lb) | Lunar Lander-rover | Moon | In service | 2023- |
GPS IIIA | 3,880 kg (8,554 lb) | Current GPS satellite series | MEO | In service | 2018– |
Chandrayaan-2 | 3,850 kg (8,487 lb) | Lunar Orbiter-Lander-Rover | Moon | In service | 2019- |
Spektr-R (RadioAstron) | 3,660 kg (8,069 lb) | Space observatory [22] | HEO | In service | 2011– |
Juno | 3,625 kg (7,992 lb) | Jupiter orbiter [23] | Jupiter | In service | 2011– |
Viking 1 | 3,530 kg (7,782 lb) | USA Mars orbiter and lander | Mars | Retired | 1975–1982 |
Magellan (spacecraft) | 3,449 kg (7,604 lb) | Venus orbiter from USA | Venus | Deorbited 1994 | 1989–1994 |
Herschel | 3,400 kg (7,496 lb) | Space observatory | Sun-Earth L2 | Retired | 2009–2013 |
Galileo | 2,562 kg (5,648 lb) | Jupiter orbiter and probe [24] | Jupiter | Deorbited 2003 | 1989–2003 |
MAVEN | 2,454 kg (5,410 lb) | Mars orbiter [25] | Mars | In service | 2013– |
Apollo 10 LM AS "Snoopy" | 2,169 kg (4,782 lb) | Snoopy's assent stage was sent into orbit around the Sun. [26] [27] Dry mass of the assent stage is listed. | Solar Orbit | Retired | 1969 |
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter | 1,846 kg (4,070 lb) | Lunar orbiter [28] | Moon | In service | 2009– |
Lucy (spacecraft) | 1,550 kg (3,417 lb) | Asteroid space probe launched by USA | Solar Orbit | In service | 2021– |
Astrosat | 1,513 kg (3,336 lb) | Space observatory from India | LEO | In service | 2015– |
Mars Orbiter Mission | 1,337.2 kg (2,948 lb) | India's first Mars mission | Mars | Retired | 2013–2022 |
Venus Express | 1,270 kg (2,800 lb) | Venus orbiter from ESA | Venus | Deorbited 2015 | 2005–2014 |
MESSENGER | 1,093 kg (2,410 lb) | Mercury orbiter [29] | Mercury | Deorbited 2015 | 2011–2015 |
Voyager 1 / Voyager 2 | 815 kg (1,797 lb) | Outer planets / interstellar space [30] | Solar Escape | In service | 1977– |
New Horizons | 465 kg (1,025 lb) | Pluto/Kuiper belt probe [31] | Solar Escape | In service | 2006– |
Malligyong-1 | 300 kg (661 lb) | Heaviest North Korean reconnaissance satellite, 21 Nov 2023 launch [32] [33] | SSO | In service | 2023– |
Capstone | 25 kg (55 lb) | Lunar Orbiter | Moon | In service | 2022– |
MarCO | 13.5 kg (30 lb) each | Mars Flyby | Mars | Lost contact 2019 | 2018–2019 |
List of spacecraft families (by mass) with 3 or more flights into space and over 7000kg.
Name | Mass | Description | Orbit | State | In service from |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Starship | 200,000 kg (440,925 lb) [6] | Mass includes 100 tons of payload or remaining propellant. [6] Mass is a rough estimate. Ship 28 flew a long Suborbital flight, however it demonstrated it can reach LEO. | LEO | In development | 2020–2024 |
Space Shuttle orbiter | 122,683 kg (270,470 lb) | Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-117, the heaviest flight of the Space Shuttle. | LEO | Retired | 1981–2011 |
Apollo CSM | 28,800 kg (63,493 lb) | U.S. crewed spacecraft for entering lunar orbit | Moon | Retired | 1968–1975 (Block II) |
Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle | 26,520 kg (58,467 lb) | U.S. crewed spacecraft for entering lunar orbit | Moon | In service | 2022- |
ATV | 20,293 kg (44,738 lb) | European cargo spacecraft on its heaviest flight | LEO | Retired | 2008–2014 |
Apollo Lunar Module | 16,400 kg (36,156 lb) | U.S. crewed lunar lander | Moon | Retired | 1968–1972 |
Tianzhou | 14,000 kg (30,865 lb) | Chinese automated cargo spacecraft | LEO | In service | 2017– |
Crew Dragon | 12,519 kg (27,600 lb) | SpaceX crewed spacecraft | LEO | In service | 2019– |
Soyuz | 7,080 kg (15,609 lb) | Russian crewed spacecraft (latest revision used for mass) | LEO | In service | 1967– (variants) 2016– (Soyuz MS) |
A spacecraft is a vehicle that is designed to fly in outer space and operate there. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, planetary exploration, and transportation of humans and cargo. All spacecraft except single-stage-to-orbit vehicles cannot get into space on their own, and require a launch vehicle.
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011. Its official name, Space Transportation System (STS), was taken from a 1969 plan for a system of reusable spacecraft of which it was the only item funded for development. It flew 135 missions and carried 355 astronauts from 16 countries, many on multiple trips.
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a human crew in orbit for an extended period of time and is therefore a type of space habitat. It lacks major propulsion or landing systems. An orbital station or an orbital space station is an artificial satellite. Stations must have docking ports to allow other spacecraft to dock to transfer crew and supplies. The purpose of maintaining an orbital outpost varies depending on the program. Space stations have most often been launched for scientific purposes, but military launches have also occurred.
Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft. At the time it was the largest artificial satellite in orbit, succeeded by the International Space Station (ISS) after Mir's orbit decayed. The station served as a microgravity research laboratory in which crews conducted experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and spacecraft systems with a goal of developing technologies required for permanent occupation of space.
The Progress is a Russian expendable cargo spacecraft. Its purpose is to deliver the supplies needed to sustain a human presence in orbit. While it does not carry a crew, it can be boarded by astronauts when docked to a space station, hence it is classified as crewed by its manufacturer. Progress is derived from the crewed Soyuz spacecraft and launches on the same launch vehicle, a Soyuz rocket.
The Automated Transfer Vehicle, originally Ariane Transfer Vehicle or ATV, was an expendable cargo spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), used for space cargo transport in 2008–2015. The ATV design was launched to orbit five times, exclusively by the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle. It effectively was a larger European counterpart to the Russian Progress cargo spacecraft for carrying upmass to a single destination—the International Space Station (ISS)—but with three times the capacity.
Space debris are defunct human-made objects in space – principally in Earth orbit – which no longer serve a useful function. These include derelict spacecraft, mission-related debris, and particularly-numerous in-Earth orbit, fragmentation debris from the breakup of derelict rocket bodies and spacecraft. In addition to derelict human-made objects left in orbit, space debris includes fragments from disintegration, erosion, or collisions; solidified liquids expelled from spacecraft; unburned particles from solid rocket motors; and even paint flecks. Space debris represents a risk to spacecraft.
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The Kessler syndrome, proposed by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978, is a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) due to space pollution is numerous enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade in which each collision generates space debris that increases the likelihood of further collisions. In 2009, Kessler wrote that modeling results had concluded that the debris environment was already unstable, "such that any attempt to achieve a growth-free small debris environment by eliminating sources of past debris will likely fail because fragments from future collisions will be generated faster than atmospheric drag will remove them". One implication is that the distribution of debris in orbit could render space activities and the use of satellites in specific orbital ranges difficult for many generations.
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. Established in 1958, it succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) to give the U.S. space development effort a distinctly civilian orientation, emphasizing peaceful applications in space science. It has since led most American space exploration, including Project Mercury, Project Gemini, the 1968–1972 Apollo Moon landing missions, the Skylab space station, and the Space Shuttle. It currently supports the International Space Station and oversees the development of the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System for the crewed lunar Artemis program, the Commercial Crew spacecraft, and the planned Lunar Gateway space station.
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