Space Station Cargo Vehicles Compared: Dragon, Cygnus XL, HTV-X, Progress, Tianzhou, Dream Chaser and Nyx

Five cargo vehicles supply space stations today: SpaceX Cargo Dragon, Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL, JAXA's HTV-X and Russia's Progress serve the ISS, and China's Tianzhou supplies the Tiangong station. Only Dragon can bring cargo back to Earth; all others burn up on reentry with the station's trash. Sierra Space's Dream Chaser and The Exploration Company's Nyx are next in line, both with return capability.

This comparison lists what each vehicle carries, whether it returns cargo, which rocket launches it and its latest flight as of October 2026. All figures come from NASA, the operators and the space agencies. Profiles of several of these vehicles are on the vehicle overview of Carrier Space, and cargo missions can be requested via cargo transport.

The vehicles at a glance

Cargo Dragon (SpaceX, USA): 6,000 kg launch payload, 3,000 kg return, splashdown, Falcon 9. Flying.
Cygnus XL (Northrop Grumman, USA): up to 5,000 kg ascent cargo, no return, destructive reentry, Falcon 9. Flying.
HTV-X (JAXA, Japan): 4,070 kg pressurized plus 1,750 kg unpressurized, no return, destructive reentry, H3. First flight 2025.
Progress (Roscosmos, Russia): about three tons of food, fuel and supplies per NASA, no return, destructive reentry, Soyuz. Flying.
Tianzhou (CMSA, China): up to 7.4 t cargo for the improved version, no return, controlled reentry, Long March 7. Flying to Tiangong.
Dream Chaser (Sierra Space, USA): winged spaceplane with runway landing. First flight targeted for late 2026.
Nyx (The Exploration Company, Europe): reusable capsule, up to 3,000 kg return, splashdown. ISS demonstration contracted by ESA.

SpaceX Cargo Dragon

SpaceX lists a launch payload mass of 6,000 kg and a return payload mass of 3,000 kg for Dragon, with 9.3 m³ of pressurized volume in the capsule and 37 m³ in the unpressurized trunk. NASA explains that the capsule carries environmentally sensitive cargo while the trunk carries unpressurized cargo. Dragon launches on Falcon 9 and returns by splashing down off the coast of California.

That return capability makes Dragon the only working downmass route from the ISS today. NASA reports that time-critical science has reached researchers less than six hours after splashdown. Read more in downmass explained.

Latest flights: CRS-34 launched on 15 May 2026. CRS-35 lifted off on 13 October 2026 with more than 6,300 pounds of supplies and hardware, including the last pair of IROSA solar arrays. NASA scheduled docking for 15 October and a return in mid-November.

Northrop Grumman Cygnus XL

Cygnus XL is the larger version of Cygnus. Northrop Grumman gives up to 5,000 kg ascent cargo and a 33 % increase in cargo capacity over the previous variant. The descent cargo of up to 5,000 kg is trash that burns up with the spacecraft in a destructive reentry; Cygnus returns nothing to Earth. Both XL flights so far launched on Falcon 9.

Latest flights: NG-23, the first Cygnus XL, launched on 14 September 2025. NG-24 launched on 11 April 2026 with about 11,000 pounds of cargo and was released from the station on 9 October 2026, with deorbit planned for 12 October.

JAXA HTV-X

JAXA lists 4,070 kg pressurized and 1,750 kg unpressurized payload, a berthing time of up to six months and up to 18 months of free flight after leaving the station. That free-flight phase lets HTV-X carry technology demonstrations after its cargo job is done.

Flights: HTV-X1 launched on an H3 rocket from Tanegashima on 26 October 2025 (JST) and was berthed on 30 October. It left the ISS loaded with waste on 7 March 2026, flew demonstrations for two and a half months and reentered on 26 May 2026. NASA lists HTV-X2 for no earlier than fall 2026.

Roscosmos Progress

Progress supplies the Russian segment of the ISS. According to NASA, Progress 96 delivered about three tons of food, fuel and supplies after launching on a Soyuz from Baikonur on 16 September 2026. It is to stay about five months and then make a destructive reentry. In 2026, Progress 94 (March), 95 (April) and 96 (September) have flown, in NASA's numbering. We could not reach Roscosmos sources, so this section relies on NASA.

China's Tianzhou

Tianzhou supplies China's Tiangong station, not the ISS. The China Manned Space Agency describes its tasks as cargo and payload transport, propellant replenishment and waste disposal, with controlled reentry at the end of the mission. CMSA states that the improved version flying since Tianzhou-6 can carry up to 7.4 t of cargo. Tianzhou-10 launched on a Long March 7 from Wenchang on 11 May 2026.

Next in line: Dream Chaser and Nyx

Dream Chaser: Sierra Space's spaceplane lands on a runway, so it can bring cargo back gently. Sierra Space lists 33 m³ pressurized volume and a detachable Shooting Star cargo module that burns up with trash. The capacity figures differ by source: Sierra Space states 8,000 lbs of upmass and 2,245 lbs runway return mass, while NASA wrote in 2023 that Dream Chaser could deliver as much as 11,500 pounds and return over 3,500 pounds. In September 2025 NASA changed the contract: the first flight became a free-flight demonstration targeted for late 2026, and NASA is no longer obliged to order a specific number of resupply missions. Sierra Space plans to launch from Kennedy Space Center and land at Vandenberg.

Nyx: The Exploration Company's capsule is designed to return up to 3,000 kg of cargo and to be reused for up to ten missions. In September 2026 ESA signed the ALADDIN contract, worth up to 760 million euros, for a Nyx demonstration mission to the ISS and two optional cargo missions. The company has an agreement with Arianespace to launch the first Nyx on Ariane 6. A date for the demonstration has not been published. See our reentry capsule comparison.

Who pays for ISS cargo

NASA buys ISS resupply through its Commercial Resupply Services contracts. In 2016 it selected Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman), Sierra Nevada Corporation (now Sierra Space) and SpaceX for CRS-2, with a minimum of six missions each. By March 2022, NASA had ordered 32 missions: 15 to SpaceX, 14 to Northrop Grumman and three to Sierra Space.

Commercial customers rarely book a cargo vehicle directly. They reach the station through the ISS National Laboratory, NASA reimbursable agreements or a commercial service provider that handles integration. Our guide What is space logistics? explains the chain.

Which vehicle fits which need?

Return samples to Earth: Dragon today; Dream Chaser and Nyx later.
Large pressurized volume: Cygnus with 36 m³ according to Northrop Grumman, or Dream Chaser with 33 m³.
Unpressurized external cargo: Dragon trunk and HTV-X.
Technology demonstration after cargo delivery: HTV-X, with up to 18 months of free flight.
After the ISS: NASA plans to end ISS operations in 2030 and move to commercial stations. Nyx already has bookings from Axiom, Starlab and Vast according to the company. See commercial space stations after the ISS.

FAQ

Which spacecraft can bring cargo back from the ISS?

Only SpaceX Cargo Dragon, with up to 3,000 kg of return payload. Cygnus, HTV-X and Progress burn up on reentry. Dream Chaser and Nyx are designed for return but have not yet flown to a station.

Which cargo spacecraft carries the most?

By published figures, Tianzhou carries up to 7.4 t to Tiangong. For the ISS, Dragon lists 6,000 kg launch payload, HTV-X 4,070 kg pressurized plus 1,750 kg unpressurized and Cygnus XL up to 5,000 kg.

How often do cargo ships fly to the ISS?

Several times a year. In 2026 alone, NASA lists Dragon CRS-34 and CRS-35, Cygnus NG-24 and Progress 94, 95 and 96.

What happens to cargo ships after their mission?

Cygnus, HTV-X, Progress and Tianzhou are loaded with waste and burn up in the atmosphere. Dragon splashes down off California with its return cargo.

Can a company send cargo to the ISS?

Yes, usually through the ISS National Laboratory, a NASA agreement or a commercial service provider, not by booking a vehicle directly.

Sources

Cover image: JAXA's HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft in the grip of Canadarm2 after berthing to the ISS Harmony module, 30 October 2025. Credit: NASA