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Three active crewed spacecraft carry humans to orbit across four nations.
| Attribute | Shenzhou CAST (China Academy of Space Technology) Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Orion MPCV Lockheed Martin (prime contractor) Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company | CAST (China Academy of Space Technology) | Lockheed Martin (prime contractor) | RSC Energia |
| Country | 🇨🇳 China | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| Status | Active | Active | Active |
| Vehicle type | capsule | capsule | capsule |
| Reusable | No | No | No |
| First flight | 2003 | 2026 | 2016 |
| Crew capacity | 3 crewas of [1] | 4 crewas of [1] ↑ Most crew | 3 crewas of [1] |
| Mass | 7,790 kgas of [1]Varies by mission configuration | 25,848 kgas of [1]Crew module + European Service Module (ESM) | 7,080 kgas of [1] |
| Target orbits | LEO, CSS | Lunar, Deep space | LEO, ISS |
| Mission types | China Space Station crew rotation, Crewed lunar precursor | Lunar crew transport, Artemis program | ISS crew rotation |
| Total flights | ~20 crewed missions (Shenzhou 5–19)as of [1]Approximate; Shenzhou 5 was first crewed flight in 2003 ↑ Most experienced | — | ~40 crewed missions (Soyuz MS series)as of [1]Approximate; Soyuz MS series began 2016; Soyuz heritage dates to 1967 |
| Summary | China's primary crewed spacecraft, inspired by but substantially evolved from Soyuz. Supports the Chinese Space Station (Tiangong). China plans a lunar-capable variant for future crewed Moon missions. | NASA's deep-space crew capsule designed for Artemis lunar missions and beyond. Larger than Apollo, pairs with the European Service Module (ESM). Artemis 1 flew uncrewed in Nov 2022; Artemis 2 (first crewed) planned 2026. | Russia's primary crew ferry to the ISS and sole crewed spacecraft in operational use by Roscosmos. The Soyuz design lineage dates to 1967, making it the longest-serving crewed spacecraft series in history. |
All 6 crewed spacecraft with primary-source citations from SpaceX, NASA, Boeing, Roscosmos, Sierra Space, and CNSA. Pure URL state — bookmark or share the link and the comparison reproduces exactly.