Uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station (ISS) are made primarily to deliver cargo, however several Russian modules have also docked to the outpost following uncrewed launches. Resupply missions typically use the Russian Progress spacecrafts, i.e, Progress-M (Standard and Modified), Progress-M1 and Progress MS series vehicles, European Automated Transfer Vehicles, Japanese Kounotori vehicles, and the American Dragon 1 and 2 vehicles and Cygnus (Standard, Enhanced and XL series) spacecraft. The primary docking system for Progress spacecraft is the automated Kurs system, with the manual TORU system as a backup. ATVs also use Kurs, however they are not equipped with TORU. The other spacecraft — the Japanese HTVs and HTV-Xs, the SpaceX Dragon (under CRS phase 1) and the Northrop Grumman[1] Cygnus vehicles — rendezvous with the station before being grappled using Canadarm2 and berthed at the nadir port of the Harmony or Unity module for one to two months. Progress, Cygnus and ATV can remain docked for up to six months.[2][3] Under CRS phase 2, SpaceX Cargo Dragon docks autonomously at IDA-2 or 3 as the case may be. As of March 2026, Progress spacecraft have flown most of the uncrewed missions to the ISS.
To avoid confusion, this list includes Soyuz MS-23, which was launched uncrewed and landed crewed, but does not include Soyuz MS-22 and Boeing Crewed Flight Test, which was launched crewed and landed uncrewed, which is listed at List of human spaceflights to the International Space Station.
Current and completed spaceflights
This is a list of uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station.
Key to box background colors:
Note: Russia has delivered cargo via the uncrewed missions of Progress since the launch of the ISS, while the U.S. had used Space Shuttles for hybrid human/cargo missions, resulting in a greater number of Russian uncrewed flights to the ISS. Since the discontinuation of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, the numbers of crewed and uncrewed flights by the U.S. and Russia are more closely matched.
For vehicles that are berthed to the station using the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) the times of berthing and unberthing are given. For those vehicles whose berthing and unberthing time is not sure is not provided, SSRMS capture and release is taken. This is because these vehicles remain physically attached to the station longer than indicated when counting the time between initial SSRMS capture and release. Formerly, the Japanese HTV and the SpaceX Dragon and currently, the Cygnus are the visiting vehicles to attach in this manner. For all other vehicles the times of docking and undocking are given.
- Module launch
- Launch failure, spacecraft did not reach orbit
- Partial failure, spacecraft reached orbit but did not rendezvous with ISS
Future spaceflights
Manifested future flights are shown below:
Spaceports
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan is the oldest and busiest spaceport. The first module of the ISS was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81 as the uncrewed spacecraft Zarya in 1998 and flew uncrewed for about two years before the first crew arrived. The Progress spacecraft is the most frequent cargo ship sent from Baikonur to the station, bringing supplies such as food, fuel, gas, experiments, and parts. Its light payload is offset by its ability to deliver critical replacement parts at short notice. Fresh fruit and vegetables from the earth are an important part of the crew's diet.
Tanegashima Space Center
Located in Japan on an island 115 km south of Kyūshū, the Tanegashima Space Center (TCS) is the launch site for H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), called Oriental stork or white stork (こうのとり) and HTV-X, used to resupply the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) and the ISS. The name Kounotori was chosen for the HTV by JAXA because "a white stork carries an image of conveying an important thing (a baby, happiness, and other joyful things), therefore, it precisely expresses the HTV's mission to transport essential materials to the ISS".[92]
White Kounotori can carry 6000 kg of cargo in total, about 3500 - 4500 kg of which is accessible by the crew in the pressurized section, the remainder is unpressurised cargo on Exposed Pallet to be handled by the ISS's robotic arm.
See also
- List of spaceflights to the International Space Station
- List of human spaceflights to the International Space Station
- List of International Space Station spacewalks
- List of International Space Station visitors
- List of Progress flights
- Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
- Cargo spacecraft