Up until 2008 only Russian and U.S. craft were used with some international pay loads carried on the U.S. Space Shuttle. In March 2008 the first international craft was launched by the European Space Agency and flown, un-piloted, to the station. This was followed in September 2009 by the first Japanese craft, also un-piloted.

In May 2012 the first commercial craft was flown to the station. This was an un-piloted cargo craft and launcher by the U.S. company SpaceX. Later in September 2013 another U.S. commercial company, Orbital ATK, also launched a cargo only craft to the station.

Updated versions of the Russian, European, Japanese and U.S. commercial craft continue to fly to the station. The U.S. Space Shuttles, however were discontinued with the last flight to the station in July 2011.

Two methods are used to attach the spacecraft securely to the station with an air-tight seal.

Powered Docking - Using remote control from the station or Earth, small rocket engines (thrusters) on the craft are used to guide it to the docking point. After initial contact the docking mechanism pulls the craft in and securely locks it to the station with an air tight seal.

Capture Docking - The station's robot arm is used to grapple a fixture on the craft and move it into the initial docking contact position. This method is only used for the smaller un-piloted craft.

Un-docking is the reverse procedure to docking and uses a similar method. After un-docked the spacecraft uses its thruster to move to a safe distance clear of the station and then uses its main engines to slow down for de-orbit.

When the spacecraft has slowed sufficiently gravity pulls the craft into the Earth's atmosphere. If the craft is designed to return to Earth it will either land or use parachutes for its final descent. Some un-piloted craft are not intended to return to Earth and are destroyed by the friction of entering the atmosphere.

Supplies include all those goods needed to operate, maintain, live in and use the station. The ISS is a habitable spacecraft and needs to be maintained in orbit and provide life support for its crew and visitors. It therefore requires regular deliveries of consumables such as fuel, water, food, oxygen and spare parts. It is also a working research station requiring specific equipment and the transport of experiment materials from and to the Earth.

The U.S. Space Shuttle was the main vehicle for delivering supplies to the station because of its large cargo capacity. Following the shuttle's last flight to the station, in July 2011, only the smaller Russian Progress, European ATV and Japanese HTV craft were available for station supply missions. None of these vehicles are designed to return to Earth. After the completion of their missions they are deliberately destroyed.

NASA therefore looked to the U.S. private sector to build commercial "re-supply" spacecraft and launchers to increase the capacity to supply the station. To date two companies, SpaceX and Orbital ATK have provided craft which have successfully flown supplies the station. SpaceX has also successfully returned a capsule to Earth. NASA is now looking for a commercial vehicle to carry crew to and from the station while it is developing new vehicles.

Although all missions carried some supplies, the table below summarizes dedicated supply missions only and excludes the component and crew missions covered in the sections above.