List of heaviest spacecraft

List of heaviest spacecraft is a listing of selected spacecraft by mass. Spacecraft may change mass over time such as by loss of coolant. The heaviest artificial objects to reach space include the space stations, various upper stages, and discarded Space Shuttle external tanks.

Between 1994 and 1998 the Shuttle-Mir complex of docked spacecraft was the heaviest artificial object in orbit (when docked), growing heavier from its start as Mir continued to be expanded.[1] It weighed at least 250 tonnes (250 long tons; 280 short tons) in a 1995 configuration.[2]

Currently the heaviest spacecraft is the International Space Station, nearly doubling Shuttle-Mir's mass in orbit. It was launched starting in 1998, however, it only attained its full weight in the 2010s, due to its modular nature and gradual constructions; indeed its mass could change significantly depending on what modules are added or removed.

All numbers listed below for satellites use their mass at launch, if not otherwise stated.

Selected spacecraft (by mass)

NameMassNotesOrbitStateIn service from
ISS419,455 kg (924,740 lb)International Space StationLEOIn Service1998– (at present size: 2011–)
Mir-Shuttle complex200,000–250,000 kg
(440,925–551,156 lb)		Russian-U.S. project[1][3]LEOCompleted1994–1998
Mir129,700 kg (285,940 lb)Russian Space StationLEODeorbited 20011986–2001
Shuttle Atlantis on STS-117122,683 kg (270,470 lb)U.S. manned reusable orbiter on its heaviest flightLEORetired1985–2011
Buran105,000 kg (231,485 lb)Soviet reusable orbiter, made single flightLEORetired1988–1988
Skylab77,111 kg (170,001 lb)U.S. Space Station; largest station orbited in one launchLEODeorbited 19791973–1979
Apollo CSM28,800 kg (63,493 lb)U.S. manned spacecraft for entering lunar orbitMoonRetired1968–1975 (Block II)
Salyut 719,824 kg (43,704 lb)USSR Space StationLEODeorbited 19911982–1991
Salyut 118,425 kg (40,620 lb)USSR Space StationLEODeorbited 19711971–1971
TKS17,510 kg (38,603 lb)Soviet manned spacecraftLEORetired1977–1985
Proton satellite17,000 kg (37,479 lb)Space research satelliteLEODeorbited 19691965–1969
Apollo LM16,400 kg (36,156 lb)U.S. manned spacecraft for landing on the moonMoonRetired1968–1972
Compton Gamma Ray Obs.16,329 kg (35,999 lb)Sister telescope to Hubble[4]LEODeorbited 20001991–2000
Hubble Space Telescope11,110 kg (24,493 lb)Space observatory[5]LEOIn Service1990–
Tiangong-28,600 kg (18,960 lb)Chinese Space StationLEOIn Service2016–
Tiangong-18,506 kg (18,753 lb)Chinese Space StationLEODeorbited 2018 (April)2011–2016
Envisat8,211 kg (18,102 lb)Earth observing satellite[6][7] Kessler syndrome threat[8]LEOIn Orbit, Inoperable2002–2012
Soyuz7,080 kg (15,609 lb)Russian manned spacecraft (latest revision used for mass)LEOIn Service1967– (current version: 2016–)
Telstar 19V7,075 kg (15,598 lb)Communications satelliteGEOIn Service2018–
TerreStar-16,910 kg (15,234 lb)Communications satelliteGEOIn Service2009–
EchoStar XXI6,871 kg (15,148 lb)Communications satellite[9]GEOIn Service2017–
Intelsat 35e6,761 kg (14,905 lb)[10]Communications satelliteGEOIn Service2017–
UARS6,540 kg (14,418 lb)Earth science[11]LEODeorbited 20111991–2005
Chandra X-ray Obs.5,865 kg (12,930 lb)Space observatory[12]HEOIn Service1999–
Cassini-Huygens5,655 kg (12,467 lb)Saturn orbiter and Titan probe [13]SaturnDeorbited 20171997–2017
Terra4,864 kg (10,723 lb)Earth observing satelliteGEOIn Service1999–
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter4,332 kg (9,550 lb)Mars orbiter (including Schiaparelli EDM lander)[14]MarsIn Service2016–
INTEGRAL4,000 kg (8,818 lb)Space observatory[15]HEOIn Service2002–
Spektr-R (RadioAstron)3,660 kg (8,069 lb)Space observatory[16]HEOIn Service2011–
Juno3,625 kg (7,992 lb)Jupiter orbiter[17]JupiterIn Service2011–
EUVE3,280 kg (7,231 lb)Space observatory (dry mass)[18]LEODeorbited 20021992–2001
Rossi3,200 kg (7,055 lb)Space observatory[19]LEODeorbited 20181995–2012
Galileo2,562 kg (5,648 lb)Jupiter orbiter and probe[20]JupiterDeorbited 20031989–2003
MAVEN2,454 kg (5,410 lb)Mars orbiter[21]MarsIn Service2013–
ERBS2,449 kg (5,399 lb)Earth observation satellite[22]LEOIn Orbit, Retired1984–2005
COBE2,206 kg (4,863 lb)Space observatory[18][23]SSOIn Orbit, Retired1989–1993
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter2,180 kg (4,806 lb)Mars orbiter[24]MarsIn Service2005–
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter1,846 kg (4,070 lb)Lunar orbiter[25]MoonIn Service2009–
GPS Block IIF SV-11,630 kg (3,594 lb)Current GPS Satellite seriesMEOIn Service2010–
Venus Express1,270 kg (2,800 lb)Venus orbiterVenusDeorbited 20152005–2014
Messenger1,093 kg (2,410 lb)Mercury orbiter[26]MercuryDeorbited 20152011–2015
Kepler1,052 kg (2,319 lb)Space observatorySolarIn Service, Degraded 20132009–
Spitzer Space Telescope950 kg (2,094 lb)Infrared space telescope[27]SolarIn Service, Degraded 20092003–
Voyager 1 / Voyager 2815 kg (1,797 lb)Outer planets / interstellar space[28]Solar EscapeIn Service1977–
New Horizons465 kg (1,025 lb)Pluto/Kuiper belt probe[29]Solar EscapeIn Service2006–
Pioneer 10259 kg (571 lb)Jupiter flyby probeSolar EscapeRetired1972–2003
Pioneer 11259 kg (571 lb)Jupiter/Saturn flyby probeSolar EscapeRetired1973–1995

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mir Space Station". nasa.gov. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  2. ↑ David S. F. Portree (March 1995). "Mir Hardware Heritage" (PDF). NASA. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 3, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  3. ↑ Broad, Willaim J. (1995-06-29). "Shuttle Set for Rendezvous Today With Russia's Mir". New York Times. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  4. ↑ "Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  5. ↑ "Fact Sheet". ESA/Hubble access-date=2017-09-16.
  6. ↑ "Envisat Space Segment". ESA Earth Online. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  7. ↑ "Envisat Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  8. ↑ Gini, Andrea (25 April 2012). "Don Kessler on Envisat and the Kessler Syndrome". Space Safety Magazine. Retrieved 2012-05-09.
  9. ↑ "EchoStar 21". Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  10. ↑ https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/07/spacex-launch-surge-falcon-9-launch-intelsat-35e/
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "Chandra X-ray Observatory Quick Facts". Marshall Space Flight Center. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  13. ↑ "Cassini". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  14. ↑ Elizabeth Gibney (11 March 2016). "Mars launch to test collaboration between Europe and Russia". Nature News. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "INTEGRAL". NASA Space Science Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  16. ↑ "RadioAstron User Handbook" (PDF). RadioAstron Science and Technical Operations Group. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  17. ↑ "Juno Mission to Jupiter" (PDF). NASA FACTS. NASA. April 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  18. 1 2 "The NASA Explorer program of scientific satellites". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  19. ↑ "X-Ray Timing Explorer". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  20. ↑ "Galileo Jupiter Arrival" (PDF) (Press Kit). NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory. December 1995. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  21. ↑ Graham, William (2013-11-17). "Atlas V launches MAVEN en route to Martian adventure". NasaSpaceFlight.com.
  22. ↑ "ERBS". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  23. ↑ "COBE - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  24. ↑ "Spacecraft - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter". mars.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  25. ↑ "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  26. ↑ "MESSENGER". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  27. ↑ "About GLIMPSE and Spitzer". UW-Madison Department of Astronomy. 2004-01-18. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  28. ↑ "Voyager 1". Goddard Space Flight Center. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  29. ↑ "New Horizons Pluto Kuiper Belt Flyby". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
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