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.

Selected spacecraft (by mass)

[edit]

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. Demonstrated it could reach LEO. Mass includes 100 tons of remaining propellant, which was likely much lower.[6] 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
Chang'e 6 8,350 kg (18,409 lb) Chinese lunar sample return Moon In service 2024–
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 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

Spacecraft design families (by mass)

[edit]

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)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ David S. F. Portree (March 1995). "Mir Hardware Heritage" (PDF). NASA Sti/Recon Technical Report N. 95. NASA: 23249. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  2. ^ "Mir Space Station". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 10 November 2001. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. ^ "ISS: International Space Station". Archived from the original on 10 August 2023.
  4. ^ https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html
  5. ^ https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/np-2015-05-022-jsc-iss-guide-2015-update-111015-508c.pdf
  6. ^ a b c d "Tiered Environmental Assessment for SpaceX Starship Indian Ocean Landings". FAA. Mar 13, 2024. p. 101. Retrieved Mar 17, 2024.
  7. ^ Zak, Anatoly (25 December 2018). "Buran reusable orbiter". Russian Space Web. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  8. ^ Richelson, Jeffrey T. (2001). The Wizards of Langley. Inside the CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology. Westview Press, Boulder. ISBN 0-8133-4059-4.p.199-200
  9. ^ "Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  10. ^ "Onyx 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (Lacrosse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Fact Sheet". ESA/Hubble. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Envisat Space Segment". ESA Earth Online. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Envisat Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ^ Gini, Andrea (25 April 2012). "Don Kessler on Envisat and the Kessler Syndrome". Space Safety Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Long March 5 | Shijian-20".
  16. ^ "EchoStar 21". Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  17. ^ Justin Mullins; Paul Marks (20 September 2011). "Hardy 6-tonne satellite falls to Earth". New Scientist. Retrieved 25 September 2014. "This is the largest NASA satellite to come back uncontrolled for quite a while," says Nick Johnson, chief scientist for NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
  18. ^ "Chandra X-ray Observatory Quick Facts". Marshall Space Flight Center. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  19. ^ "India's heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana".
  20. ^ "Cassini". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  21. ^ Elizabeth Gibney (11 March 2016). "Mars launch to test collaboration between Europe and Russia". Nature News. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  22. ^ "RadioAstron User Handbook" (PDF). RadioAstron Science and Technical Operations Group. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  23. ^ "Juno Mission to Jupiter" (PDF). NASA FACTS. NASA. April 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  24. ^ "Galileo Jupiter Arrival" (PDF) (Press Kit). NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory. December 1995. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  25. ^ Graham, William (17 November 2013). "Atlas V launches MAVEN en route to Martian adventure". NasaSpaceFlight.com.
  26. ^ https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1969-043A
  27. ^ https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/astronomers-might-have-found-apollo-10-snoopy-module/
  28. ^ "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  29. ^ "MESSENGER". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  30. ^ "Voyager 1". Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  31. ^ "New Horizons Pluto Kuiper Belt Flyby". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  32. ^ "North Korea claims success". SCMP. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  33. ^ Jeongmin Kim (1 June 2023). "North Korea rushed satellite launch after seeing ROK rocket success, Seoul says". NK News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
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