List of crewed spacecraft

Russia

• Soyuz (1967–present) 3 person Earth orbital spacecraft;^[1] Early versions were operated by the Soviet Union and later versions by Russia after 1991. As of June 2018 Soyuz has made 137 crewed spaceflights, including 1 emergency sub-orbital flight (Soyuz 18a). There have been 2 accidental spacecraft losses resulting in the deaths of four cosmonauts (Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11). Soyuz is the only spacecraft to have successfully saved the lives of a crew using the rocket launch escape system, when in 1983 Soyuz T-10-1 exploded on the launchpad. This spacecraft type has flown more times than any other spacecraft, including the Space Shuttle.^[2]

China

• Shenzhou (2003–present) 3 person Earth orbital spacecraft. 6 flights as of April 2018. Shenzhou is China's first crewed spacecraft. On 13 October 2003 Yang Liwei was carried into space by Shenzhou 5 becoming China's first Taikonaut.^[3]

International

• International Space Station (2000–present). Low earth orbit modular space station. The International Space Station is a joint project among five participating space agencies: NASA, Roscosmos, JAXA, ESA, and CSA.^[4] Uncrewed initial assembly 1998-2000. Continuously crewed since November 2000. As of June 2018 ISS has been visited by 92 crewed spacecraft (57 Soyuz and 35 Space Shuttle). The ISS is the largest space station yet constructed. Planned to operate until 2024, with a possible extension to 2028.^[5]

China

• Tiangong 2 (2016–present). Low earth orbit space station. China's second space station. Visited by one crew in 2016. Currently unoccupied. Not expected to receive further crews as China is scheduled to begin construction of a new modular space station in 2020.^[6]

Soviet Union

• Vostok (1961–1963) single-person Earth orbital spacecraft^[7] 6 flights. On April 12, 1961 Vostok 1 carried the first human into space, Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.^[8] On 16 June 1963 Vostok 6 carried the first woman into space, Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.^[9]
• Voskhod (1964–1965) 3 person Vostok derivative^[10] 2 flights. On 18 March 1965 Alexey Leonov performed the first spacewalk in history, from Voskhod 2 - which was also the first multi-crew mission.^[11]

United States

Apollo 17 CSM orbiting the Moon.

• Mercury (1961–1963) single-person Earth orbital spacecraft^[12] 6 flights (including 2 sub-orbital). Mercury was the United States first crewed spacecraft. On 05 May 1961 Mercury-Redstone 3 carried the first American, Alan Shepard, into space on a sub-orbital flight. On 20 February 1962 Mercury-Atlas 6 carried the first American, John Glenn, into earth orbit.^[13]
• Gemini (1965–1966) 2 person Earth orbital spacecraft^[14] 10 flights. On 3 June 1965 Ed White made America's first spacewalk, from Gemini 4.^[15]
• Apollo (1968-1975) 3 person Lunar capable spacecraft. 15 flights; including 9 lunar missions (with 6 lunar landings). It was the Apollo spacecraft that enabled America to win the Space Race. In December 1968 Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to orbit the moon. On 21 July 1969 Neil Armstrong, Commander of Apollo 11, became the first human being to walk on the moon.^[16] The Apollo Spacecraft comprised
  • 1. Command/Service Module (1968–1975) 3 person Earth and lunar orbital craft^[17]
  • 2. Lunar Module (1969–1972) 2 person lunar lander^[18]
• Space Shuttle (1981–2011) 8 person Earth orbital spacecraft; first orbit-capable spaceplane; first partially reusable orbital spacecraft. 135 flights were made in 5 shuttles; Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, of which 2 (Challenger and Colombia) were accidentally destroyed resulting in the deaths of 14 astronauts during missions STS-51-L and STS-107.^[19]

Soviet/Russia

• Salyut series (1971–1991). Low earth orbit space stations. ^[22] Salyut 1 (1971), Salyut 4 (1974-1977), Salyut 6 (1977-1982), and Salyut 7 (1982-1991). All now de-orbited.^[23]
• Almaz series (1973–1977) Military reconnaissance low earth orbit space stations. Badged as Salyut 3 (1974-1975), and Salyut 5 (1976-1977) as disinformation. Both now de-orbited.^[23]
• Mir (1986–2000). Low earth orbit space station. The first modular space station in history. 28 crews. Mir was visited by 29 Soyuz and 7 Space Shuttle missions. De-orbited 2001.^[24]

United States

• Skylab (1973–1974) Low earth orbit space station. First United States space station. Three crews. De-orbited 1979.^[25]

China

• Tiangong 1 (2011–2012). Low earth orbit space station. China's first space station. 2 crews. De-orbited 2018.^[26]

United States

• SpaceX's Dragon V2 - a 7 person Earth orbital spacecraft designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station under the NASA Commercial Crew Contract. Dragon V2 is capable of operating beyond Earth orbit. First crewed flight planned for January 17 2019.^[27]
• Boeing's CST-100 Starliner - a 7 person Earth orbital spacecraft designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station under the NASA Commercial Crew Contract - first crewed flight likely in 2019^[28]
• SpaceX's Big Falcon Spaceship (BFS) launched on the reusable Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) - 100+ person beyond Earth orbit craft (crew size expected to be smaller on early flights).^[29][30] The BFS is primarily designed to enable crewed missions to Mars, but could in theory land on any rocky body in the Solar System (except Venus). Elon Musk CEO of SpaceX has stated that BFS test flights are expected to begin in 2019.^[31]
• NASA's Orion - a 4 person beyond Earth orbit spacecraft. ^[32] The first crewed flight Exploration Mission 2 is planned to be launched for Lunar orbit on the Space Launch System in 2023.^[33]
• Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser - 7 person Earth orbital space plane^[34] Uncrewed cargo version scheduled to fly in 2020 - a crewed version could subsequently be developed.

China

• Reusable Lift-body Launcher - China plans to launch its reusable spaceplane in 2020, according to a statement from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.^[45]

• Chinese winged rocket - the plane may one day fly up passengers to the edge of space. Two versions: one should be able to fly five people to an altitude of 100 kilometres; other - could fly 20 people to 130 kilometres. Payload launches in 2020.^[46]

Russia

• RSSC - a reusable sub-orbital space complex, currently being developed by a private company KosmoKurs. First flight planned for 2021.^[47][48]
• Federatsiya - a 4 person Lunar capable spacecraft. First crewed flight planned for 2024.^[49]

India

• Gaganyaan - a 3 person Earth orbital spacecraft intented to be the first spacecraft under Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. Gaganyaan is capable of operating at Low Earth orbit for 7 days. The upgraded version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capabilities. First crewed flight planned in 2022.

Japan

• A sub-orbital rocket plane currently being developed by PD Aerospace. First flight planned for 2020 and fully operational by 2023.^[50]

United Kingdom

• Skylon - an unpiloted reusable space plane with possible passenger module (engine in development).^[51]

• Thunderstar - a 12 metre manned rocket for one person.^[52]

Sources

• Gatland, Kenneth (1976). Manned Spacecraft (2nd ed.). New York City: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 0-02-542820-9.