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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 | Boeing | CAST (China Academy of Space Technology) | Lockheed Martin (prime contractor) |
| Country | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇨🇳 China | 🇺🇸 USA |
| Status | Active | Active | Active |
| Vehicle type | capsule | capsule | capsule |
| Reusable | Yes | No | No |
| First flight | 2024 | 2003 | 2026 |
| Crew capacity | 4 crew (up to 7)as of [1] ↑ Most crew | 3 crewas of [1] | 4 crewas of [1] |
| Mass | ~13,000 kgas of [1] | 7,790 kgas of [1]Varies by mission configuration | 25,848 kgas of [1]Crew module + European Service Module (ESM) |
| Target orbits | LEO, ISS | LEO, CSS | Lunar, Deep space |
| Mission types | ISS crew rotation | China Space Station crew rotation, Crewed lunar precursor | Lunar crew transport, Artemis program |
| Total flights | 1 crewed mission (CFT)as of [2]CFT crew returned aboard Crew Dragon after thruster and helium leak issues | ~20 crewed missions (Shenzhou 5–19)as of [1]Approximate; Shenzhou 5 was first crewed flight in 2003 ↑ Most experienced | — |
| Summary | Boeing's NASA CCP capsule. The Crew Flight Test (May 2024) was plagued by helium leaks and RCS thruster failures, stranding NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams for 8 months before SpaceX Crew Dragon rescued them. | 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. |
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.