All articles tagged with #cargo spacecraft
China is developing Qingzhou, a smaller, lighter, and potentially cheaper cargo spacecraft for its Tiangong space station, with its first flight expected after early 2026, as part of an upgrade to its space transportation capabilities.
Japan successfully launched its new H3 rocket carrying the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft to the ISS, marking a significant milestone in Japan's space capabilities and the debut of the rocket's most powerful version, which can carry larger payloads and operate more efficiently for supply missions.
Japan's new HTV-X cargo spacecraft is launching on its first mission to the International Space Station, enhancing Japan's cargo delivery capabilities and supporting future space activities beyond the ISS, including lunar orbit missions.
Northrop Grumman's new Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft successfully arrived at the ISS on its debut mission, carrying over 11,000 pounds of supplies and named in honor of astronaut William 'Willie' McCool, despite a one-day delay caused by thruster issues. This mission marks the first Cygnus delivery in over a year and features the spacecraft's increased cargo capacity.
Russia's Progress 93 spacecraft docked with the ISS, delivering 2.8 tons of supplies for Expedition 73 crew, joining other cargo and crew vehicles, with more missions upcoming.
China's Tianzhou 9 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station, carrying supplies, upgraded spacesuits, scientific payloads, and equipment for astronaut fitness and research, marking a significant advancement in China's space capabilities and mission readiness.
Russia launched the Progress 92 cargo ship to the ISS, carrying about three tons of supplies, with docking expected on July 5; it replaces Progress 90, which undocked earlier this month, and is part of ongoing cargo missions to the station.
SpaceX is set to launch Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station on Jan. 30, carrying over 8,200 pounds of supplies and scientific hardware, including experiments on cartilage growth and 3D printing of metals in microgravity. The spacecraft is named after NASA astronaut Patty Hilliard Robertson and is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Feb. 1. It will spend about six months docked to the ISS before re-entering Earth's atmosphere for destruction, during which an experiment will gather data on spacecraft thermal protection. The launch can be watched live on Space.com or NASA's coverage.
Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have begun sorting and checking the newly arrived cargo from the Tianzhou 7 spacecraft, which contains around 250 cargo packages including daily supplies, maintenance kits, spare parts, and samples for experiments. The supplies will support the current Shenzhou 17 mission and the future Shenzhou 18 mission, as well as include Chinese New Year gift packages for the astronauts. This marks the sixth cargo mission to arrive at the Tiangong space station since its construction began in 2021.
China's Tianzhou 6 cargo spacecraft, which completed its mission serving the country's space station, was deorbited and burned up in Earth's atmosphere over the South Pacific. The spacecraft, launched in May 2023, delivered supplies, propellant, experiments, and other cargo to China's Tiangong space station. China plans to continue launching Tianzhou spacecraft every eight months to keep Tiangong occupied for at least 10 years.
China's Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft successfully docked at the Tiangong space station to resupply the outpost, marking the country's first space station mission of 2024. The spacecraft carried 260 items of cargo, including supplies for astronauts and various scientific experiments. China plans to launch three more missions to Tiangong in 2024, and is also exploring low-cost cargo alternatives. Additionally, there are plans to expand and maintain Tiangong for at least a decade, including the launch of a co-orbiting space telescope and a multipurpose module.
Vice President Harris is leading a National Space Council meeting ahead of the undocking of a NASA cargo spacecraft.
Northrop Grumman has named its first cargo spacecraft to fly on a SpaceX rocket, the S.S. Patricia "Patty" Hilliard Robertson, in honor of an astronaut who died from injuries sustained in a plane crash before she could launch to the International Space Station (ISS). The Cygnus supply ship is scheduled to lift off in January 2024 and will deliver crew supplies, equipment, and scientific experiments to the ISS. Robertson, a medical doctor and space medicine fellow, was chosen to become a NASA astronaut but tragically died in a private-plane crash in 2001. Northrop Grumman has delivered over 138,000 pounds of cargo to the space station over the past decade.
A Russian Progress cargo spacecraft was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and is headed for the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on December 3, carrying 5,600 pounds of cargo. The ISS relies on resupply ships like Progress to provide food, equipment, supplies, and science for its crew. Progress is one of several vehicles tasked with resupplying the ISS, along with SpaceX Dragon and Northrop Grumman Cygnus.
China's Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft has arrived at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in preparation for a launch in early 2024. The spacecraft will deliver supplies, propellant, extravehicular activity suits, spare parts, and payloads to the astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station. Tianzhou 7 is one of two cargo missions planned for 2024, with each freighter docking at Tiangong's rear port. China aims to keep the permanently crewed Tiangong space station operational for at least a decade and plans to expand it with new modules.