Student Article

Spacecraft are vehicles that travel into space. Some of them are very heavy! Here are the top 10 heaviest spacecraft ever launched:

International Space Station

This space station is the heaviest, weighing 924,739 pounds (419,725 kilograms). It has been in space since 1998.

Mir

This Russian space station weighs 308,647 pounds (140,000 kilograms). It was in space from 1986 to 2001.

Space Shuttle

The U.S. space shuttle weighs 242,508 pounds (110,000 kilograms). It was used from 1981 to 2011.

Buran

This Russian spaceplane flew in 1988 and weighs 231,485 pounds (105,000 kilograms).

Skylab

This U.S. space station weighs 169,755 pounds (77,000 kilograms). It was in space from 1973 to 1979.

Apollo Command and Service Module

This U.S. lunar spacecraft weighs 63,493 pounds (28,800 kilograms). It was used from 1968 to 1975.

Tianhe Core Module

This Chinese space station module weighs 48,501 pounds (22,000 kilograms). It has been in space since April 2021.

Salyut 7

This Russian space station weighs 43,698 pounds (19,824 kilograms). It was in space from 1982 to 1991.

ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle)

This European Space Agency cargo spacecraft weighs 42,681 pounds (19,357 kilograms). It was used from 2008 to 2014.

Salyut 1

This Russian space station weighs 41,666 pounds (18,900 kilograms) and was in space in 1971.

These spacecraft are very heavy and need a lot of energy to reach space. They help scientists learn more about space and the Universe.

© Thomas Ling / Our Media