List of space agencies
Encyclopedia
This is a list of government agencies
engaged in activities related to outer space
and space exploration
.
The name given is the English version, with the native language version below. The acronym given is the most common acronym: this can either be the acronym of the English version (e.g. JAXA), or the acronym in the native language. Where there are multiple acronyms in common use, the English one is given first.
The date of the founding of the space agency is the date of first operations where possible. If the space agency is no longer running, then the date when it was terminated (i.e. the last day of operations) is given. A link to the Agency's primary website is also given.
Colour legend
The capabilities of the space agencies are color-coded as follows:
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
engaged in activities related to outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
and space exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
.
The name given is the English version, with the native language version below. The acronym given is the most common acronym: this can either be the acronym of the English version (e.g. JAXA), or the acronym in the native language. Where there are multiple acronyms in common use, the English one is given first.
The date of the founding of the space agency is the date of first operations where possible. If the space agency is no longer running, then the date when it was terminated (i.e. the last day of operations) is given. A link to the Agency's primary website is also given.
Colour legend
The capabilities of the space agencies are color-coded as follows:
List of space agencies
| Space agency | Country | Founded | Terminated | Capabilities of the space agency | Ref(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Initialisms/Acronym | Astronauts | Operates Satellites | Sounding Rockets capable | Recoverable Biological Sounding Rockets capable | ||||
| Aeronautics and Space Research and Diffusion Center |
CIDA-E | 5 August 1975 | — | — | |||||
| Mexican Space Agency Agencia Espacial Mexicana The Mexican Space Agency is a space agency, approved by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies on April 20, 2010 after receiving a significant vote of confidence on April 26, 2006... |
AEM | 30 July 2010 | — | — | |||||
| Berber Berber languages The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert... : Tafullut Tadzayrit n Tallunt (Algerian Space Agency) |
ASAL | 16 January 2002 | — | — | |||||
| Asia Pacific Multilateral Cooperation in Space Technology and Applications |
AP-MCSTA | February 1992 | — | — | |||||
| Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum |
APRSAF |  Canada |
1993 | — | — | ||||
| Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization The Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization is an inter-governmental organization operated as a non-profit independent body with full international legal status... |
APSCO | 28 October 2005 | — | — | |||||
| (Aeronautics and Space Agency; also Austrian Space Agency Austrian Space Agency The Austrian Space Agency is an organization whose purpose is to coordinate Austrian space exploration-related activities, both national programs and European Space Agency related programs. It was established in 1972 in Vienna... ; (Austrian Solar and Space Agency 1977–1987) |
ALR | 12 July 1972 | — | ||||||
| (Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency (ANASA; , is a governmental body that coordinates all Azerbaijani space research programs with scientific and commercial goals... ) |
AMAKA | 21 February 1974 | — | — | |||||
| (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy The Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy is a Belgian federal scientific research institute... ) |
BIRA IASB BISA |
25 November 1964 | — | ||||||
| (Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities) |
ABAE | 1 January 2008 | — | ||||||
| (Brazilian Space Agency Brazilian Space Agency The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno... ) |
AEB | 10 February 1994 | — | ||||||
| UK Space Agency UK Space Agency The UK Space Agency is a United Kingdom government agency responsible for its civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the British National Space Centre and took over responsibility for government policy and key budgets for space and represents the UK in all negotiations... |
UKSA | 1 April 2010 | — | ||||||
| (Space Research Institute, Solar-Terrestrial Influences Institute) Bulgarian Space Agency |
ИКИ-БАН SRI-BAS] ИСЗВ-БАН STIL-BAS |
1987 | — | ||||||
| Canadian Space Agency |
CSA ASC |
Canada |
1 March 1989 | — | |||||
| China National Space Administration China National Space Administration The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities... (Chinese Simplified Chinese character Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao for use in Mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, it is one of many standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language... : 中华人民共和国国家航天局) |
CNSA | 22 April 1993 | — | ||||||
| (Colombian Space Commission Colombian Space Commission The Colombian Space Commission is Colombia’s government body for the promotion and use of space. It is in charge of promoting the development of space technology and communication satellites as well as applications for the navigation and maritime transportation in Colombia. It also works in the... ) |
CCE | 18 July 2006 | — | ||||||
| Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing | CRISP | 1995 | — | ||||||
| Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is the national government body for scientific research in Australia... |
CSIRO | 1926 | — | ||||||
| Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems was formed in 1982 by the major space agencies of the world to provide a forum for discussion of common problems in the development and operation of space data systems... |
CCSDS |  Early Modern France Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) People's Republic of China China National Space Administration (CNSA) Germany Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt (DLR)esa European Space Agency (ESA)  Brazil Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) Japan Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Russia Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA) |
1982 | — | — | ||||
| Committee on Space Research COSPAR The Committee on Space Research was established by the International Council for Science in 1958.Among COSPAR's objectives are the promotion of scientific research in space on an international level, with emphasis on the free exchange of results, information, and opinions, and providing a forum,... |
COSPAR | Canada esa European Space Agency European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...  United Nations UNESCOUNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations... |
1958 | — | |||||
| (Croatian Space Agency) |
HSA CSA |
October 2002 | — | ||||||
| (Czech Space Office Czech Space Office The Czech Space Office, CSO is the central contact point for the coordination of pure space sciece related activities in the Czech Republic. It fulfils tasks of the national information and advisory centre for the academia on opportunities to enter the international space scene and on space... ) |
ČKK CSO |
November 2003 | — | ||||||
| (Danish National Space Center Danish National Space Center The Danish National Space Center is a Danish sector research Institute and a part of the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. It is located in Copenhagen at Østerbro... ) |
DRC DNSC |
1 January 1968 |
31 December 2006 |
||||||
| (Danish Space Research Institute Danish Space Research Institute Danish Space Research Institute was the space agency of Denmark from 1966 to 2005. It was a Danish sector research institute formed in 1966 under the Danish Ministry for Education and Research, later the Danish Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation... ) |
DRKI DSRI |
1 January 2005 |
31 December 2006 |
||||||
| (Technical University of Denmark – National Space Institut) |
DTU Space | 1 January 2006 |
— | ||||||
| European Space Agency European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... |
ESA ASE EWO |
31 May 1975 | — | ||||||
| Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency is the organization in charge of administering and executing the Ecuadorian civilian space program and conducting scientific research on space and planetary sciences. It is a mixed capital non-profit organization, 50% civilian and 50% Ecuadorian government... |
EXA | 1 November 2007 | — | ||||||
| Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency |
GISTDA สทอภ |
3 November 2002 | — | ||||||
| (German Aerospace Center German Aerospace Center The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in... ) |
DLR | 1969 | — | ||||||
| (Hungarian Space Office Hungarian Space Office The Hungarian Space Office is the national space agency of the Republic of Hungary. It was established by the Hungarian government in 1992. , the current director is Előd Both .-External links:* - English page... ) |
MŰI HSO |
January 1992 | — | ||||||
| Indian Space Research Organization |
ISRO इसरो |
15 August 1969 | — | ||||||
| (Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing The Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing is a research institute in Greece with expertise in multidisciplinary space and environmental sciences, and one of the five research Institutes of the National Observatory of Athens... ) |
ΙΔΕΤ ISARS |
1955 | — | ||||||
| Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial The Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial is Spain's space agency. It was founded in 1942, as the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeronáutica , and has its headquarters in Torrejón de Ardoz, near Madrid.... |
INTA | 1942 | — | ||||||
| Iranian Space Agency Iranian Space Agency The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009... |
ISA | 2003 | — | ||||||
| Israeli Space Agency Israeli Space Agency Israel Space Agency is a governmental body that coordinates all Israeli space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. It was established in 1983 and is currently headed by Aluf professor Yitzhak Ben Yisrael... |
ISA סל"ה |
April 1983 | — | ||||||
| Italian Space Agency Italian Space Agency The Italian Space Agency is a government agency established in 1988 to fund, regulate and coordinate space exploration activities in Italy... |
ASI | 1988 | — | ||||||
| Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the... |
JAXA | 1 October 2003 | — | ||||||
| National Space Agency (KazCosmos) KazCosmos The National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan , also known as KazCosmos, or KazKosmos, is Kazakhstan's national space agency, and was officially established on March 27, 2007. The previous year, on June 18, 2006, the communications satellite KazSat 1 was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome,... ; Kazakh Space Research Institute |
NSA (KazCosmos); SRI |
1991 | — | — | |||||
| Korean Committee of Space Technology Korean Committee of Space Technology The Korean Committee of Space Technology is the state-controlled space agency of North Korea. Very little information on it is publicly available. It is known to be founded sometime in the 1980s, and most likely is connected to the Artillery Guidance Bureau of the Korean People's Army... |
KCST | 1980s | — | ||||||
| Korea Aerospace Research Institute Korea Aerospace Research Institute The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. Current projects include the KSLV launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989... |
KARI | 10 October 1989 | — | ||||||
| Malaysian National Space Agency |
ANGKASA | 2002 | — | ||||||
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | 1 October 1958 | — | ||||||
| National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences |
NARRS | 1994 | — | ||||||
| (National Center of Space Research) |
CNES | 19 December 1961 | — | ||||||
| (National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development) |
CONIDA | 11 June 1974 | — | — | |||||
| (National Commission for Space Research) |
CNIE | 1961 | 1991 | ||||||
| (National Space Activities Commission) |
CONAE | 28 May 1991 | — | ||||||
| (National Institute of Aeronautics and Space National Institute of Aeronautics and Space National Institute of Aeronautics and Space is the Indonesian government space agency. It was established on November 27, 1964 by former Indonesian president Suharto after one year's existence of an informal space agency organization. LAPAN is responsible for long-term civilian and military... ) |
LAPAN | 27 November 1964 | — | ||||||
| National Remote Sensing Center of Mongolia | NRSC | 1987 | — | ||||||
| (National Remote Sensing Center of Tunisia) |
CNT | 1988 | — | — | |||||
| Uzbek State Space Research Agency (UzbekCosmos) | USSRA (UzbekCosmos) | 2001 | — | http://www.satnews.com/stories/3may2001-4.html http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/62825/uzbekistan_planning_to_launch_two_satellites_with_russian_help/ | |||||
| (National Space Agency of Ukraine National Space Agency of Ukraine The State Space Agency of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government agency responsible for space policy and programs.... ) |
НКАУ NSAU |
2 March 1992 | — | http://www.nkau.gov.ua/nsau/catalogNEW.nsf/mainE/731F5A089D942FA8C2256FBF002DFA78?OpenDocument&Lang=E | |||||
| National Space Organization |
NSPO | October 1991 | — | ||||||
| National Space Research and Development Agency National Space Research and Development Agency The National Space Research and Development Agency is the national space agency of Nigeria. It is a part of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and it is overseen by the National Council on Space Science Technology.-History:... |
NASRDA | 1998 | — | ||||||
| (Netherlands Institute for Space Research Netherlands Institute for Space Research SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research is the Dutch expertise institute for space research. The Institute develops and uses innovative technology for groundbreaking research in space, focusing on astrophysical research, Earth science and planetary research... ) |
SRON | 1983 | — | ||||||
| (Norwegian Space Centre Norwegian Space Centre The Norwegian Space Centre is a Norwegian government agency that promotes space exploration.-Norsk Romsenter :... ) |
NRS NSC |
1987 | — | ||||||
| Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics and aerospace research... |
SUPARCO سپارکو |
16 September 1961 | — | ||||||
| (FCT Space Office) |
' FCT SO |
2009 | — | ||||||
| (Romanian Space Agency Romanian Space Agency The Romanian Space Agency is the Romanian national Coordinator for space-related technology, activities and programs since 1991.... ) |
ASR ROSA |
1991 | — | ||||||
| former Egypt Remote Sensing Center | EASRT-RSC | 1971 | 1994 | ||||||
| Berber Berber languages The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert... : Ammas Amrrukan n Tallunt (Royal Centre for Remote Sensing) |
CRTS | December 1989 | — | — | |||||
| (Russian Federal Space Agency Russian Federal Space Agency The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located... ) |
ROSCOSMOS | c.1992 | — | ||||||
| Sri Lanka Space Agency | SLSA | 2010 (Proposed) | — | ||||||
| (TUBITAK Space Technologies Research Institute TUBITAK Space Technologies Research Institute TÜBİTAK UZAY was founded in 1985, under the framework of a protocol signed between the Middle East Technical University and The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey as a publicly funded research institute.TÜBİTAK UZAY specializes in space technologies, electronics, information... ) |
TÜBİTAK UZAY | 1985 | — | — | |||||
| (Soviet space program Soviet space program The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991... ) |
СССР | ca. 1955 | ca. 1991 | ||||||
| Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization is the national space research and exploration agency of Bangladesh. Established in 1980 as an autonomous multisectoral R & D organization of the Bangladesh government, SPARRSO has been the national focal point for peaceful applications of... |
SPARRSO | 1980 | — | ||||||
| (Space Research Centre Space Research Centre The Space Research Centre is an interdisciplinary research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences. It was established in 1977. SRC PAS is the only institute in Poland whose activity is fully dedicated to the research of terrestrial space, the solar system and the Earth using space technology... ) |
CBK-PAN SRC |
1977 | — | ||||||
| Space Research Institute of Saudi Arabia |
KACST-SRI | — | — | — | |||||
| (Space Technonogy Institute) |
CNVT VAST-STI |
20 November 2006 | — | ||||||
| (Swedish National Space Board Swedish National Space Board The Swedish National Space Board is a Swedish government agency operating under the Swedish Ministry of Education and Science. SNSB distributes government grants to research and development, initiates research and development in space and remote sensing, and is the Swedish contact in international... ) |
SNSB | 1972 | — | ||||||
| Swiss Space Office Swiss Space Office Swiss Space Office is the national space program of the Switzerland. It was roughly the 16th highest funded public space agency with a budget of about 110 million USD in the early 2000s. According to Jane's, the SSO is "the administrative unit charged with planning and implementing Swiss space... |
SSO | — | — | ||||||
| United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is an organization of the General Assembly charged with implementing the Assembly's outer space-related policies. It is located in the United Nations Office in Vienna. The Office implements the Program on Space Applications and maintains the... |
UNOOSA | United Nations |
13 December 1958 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space was established in 1958 as an ad hoc committee... |
UNCOPUOS | Canada |
12 December 1959 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
List of space agencies with launch capability
| Space agency | Country | Founded | Terminated | Capabilities of the space agency | Ref(s) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Acronym | Launch capable | Multiple Satellites Launch capable | Operates Extraterrestrial Probe | Recoverable Satellites capable | ||||
| China National Space Administration China National Space Administration The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities... (Chinese Simplified Chinese character Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao for use in Mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, it is one of many standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language... : 中华人民共和国国家航天局) |
CNSA | 22 April 1993 | — | ||||||
| European Space Agency European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... |
ESA ASE EWO |
31 May 1975 | — | ||||||
| Iranian Space Agency Iranian Space Agency The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009... |
ISA ISA |
2003 | — | ||||||
| Israeli Space Agency Israeli Space Agency Israel Space Agency is a governmental body that coordinates all Israeli space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. It was established in 1983 and is currently headed by Aluf professor Yitzhak Ben Yisrael... |
ISA סל"ה |
April 1983 | — | ||||||
| Indian Space Research Organization |
ISRO इसरो |
15 August 1969 | — | ||||||
| Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the... |
JAXA | 1 October 2003 | — | ||||||
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | 1 October 1958 | — | ||||||
(National Center of Space Research) |
CNES | 19 December 1961 | — | ||||||
(National Space Agency of Ukraine National Space Agency of Ukraine The State Space Agency of Ukraine is the Ukrainian government agency responsible for space policy and programs.... ) |
НКАУ NSAU |
2 March 1992 | — | ||||||
(Russian Federal Space Agency Russian Federal Space Agency The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located... (Roscosmos)) |
ROSCOSMOS RFSA |
ca. 1992 | — | ||||||
| (Soviet space program Soviet space program The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991... ) |
СССР | ca. 1955 | ca. 1991 | ||||||
List of space agencies with manned spaceflight capability
| Space agency | Country | Founded | Terminated | Capabilities of the space agency | Ref(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Acronym | Manned Spaceflight capable | Manned Space launch capable | Spacewalk capable | Space Rendezvous and Docking capable | Operates Space Station | ||||
| China National Space Administration China National Space Administration The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities... (Chinese Simplified Chinese character Simplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao for use in Mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, it is one of many standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language... : 中华人民共和国国家航天局) |
CNSA | 22 April 1993 | — | |||||||
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | 1 October 1958 | — | |||||||
(Russian Federal Space Agency Russian Federal Space Agency The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located... ) |
ROSCOSMOS RFSA |
ca. 1992 | — | |||||||
(Soviet space program Soviet space program The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991... ) |
СССР | ca. 1955 | ca. 1991 | |||||||
List of achievements of space agencies with lunar landing capability
| Space agency | Country | Founded | Terminated | Accomplished tasks by the Space Agency | Ref(s) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Acronym | Unmanned Moon Soft Landing | Circumlunar Manned Spaceflight | Manned Moon Landing | ||||
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | NASA | 1 October 1958 | — | |||||
| (Soviet space program Soviet space program The Soviet space program is the rocketry and space exploration programs conducted by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the 1930s until its dissolution in 1991... ) |
СССР | ca. 1955 | ca. 1991 | |||||
Expected future space agencies
| Space agency | Country | Possible expected date of foundation | Current status | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Acronym | ||||
| Pan-Arab Space Agency |
PASA |  Arab LeagueArab League The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a... |
— | — | |
| Belarus Space Agency |
BSA | 2010 | |||
| Bolivian Space Agency |
ABAE | 2012 | in 2012 a space satellite will be launched to orbit | ||
| Space Science and Technology Institute | SSTI | 2010 | SSTI plans nano-satellite with space capsule Space capsule A space capsule is an often manned spacecraft which has a simple shape for the main section, without any wings or other features to create lift during atmospheric reentry.... s by Russian help. |
||
| Mexican Space Agency |
AEM | 2010 | Founded in July, 2010. Yet in structuring process. | ||
| South African National Space Agency South African National Space Agency The South African National Space Agency is South Africa's government agency responsible for the promotion and development of aeronautics and aerospace space research... |
SANSA | 2011 | Bill signed by the President. | ||
| Sri Lanka Aeronautics and Space Agency | SLASA | 2010 | Immediate goal is to construct and launch two satellites. Sri Lankan Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has signed an agreement with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd to get relevant help and resources. | ||
| Turkmenistan National Space Agency Turkmenistan National Space Agency Turkmenistan National Space Agency , is a governmental body that coordinates all Turkmenistan space research programs with scientific and commercial goals. It was established in 2011.-Space Programme:... |
TNSA | 2011 | TNSA plans a first satellite by help of SpaceX SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or more popularly and informally known as SpaceX, is an American space transport company that operates out of Hawthorne, California... to 2014 |
||
| Vietnam Space Commission | VNSC | — | — | ||
Budgets
The annual budgets listed are the official budgets for national space agencies available in public domain. The budgets are not normalized to the expenses of space research in different countries, i.e. higher budget does not necessarily mean more activity or better performance in space exploration. For European contributors to ESA, the national budgets shown are separate from their contributions to ESA.| Country | Agency | Budget (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| NASA NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research... (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) |
$19,000 million | |
| ESA European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... (European Space Agency) |
$5,430 million (2011) | |
| ROSCOSMOS Russian Federal Space Agency The Russian Federal Space Agency , commonly called Roscosmos and abbreviated as FKA and RKA , is the government agency responsible for the Russian space science program and general aerospace research. It was previously the Russian Aviation and Space Agency .Headquarters of Roscosmos are located... (Russian Federal Space Agency) |
$3,800 million (2011) | |
| CNES CNES The is the French government space agency . Established under President Charles de Gaulle in 1961, its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research... (French Space Agency) |
$2,822 million (2010) | |
| JAXA Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The , or JAXA, is Japan's national aerospace agency. Through the merger of three previously independent organizations, JAXA was formed on October 1, 2003, as an Independent Administrative Institution administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the... (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) |
$2,460 million | |
| DLR German Aerospace Center The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in... (German Aerospace Center) |
$2,000 million | |
| CNSA China National Space Administration The China National Space Administration is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China responsible for the national space program. It is responsible for planning and development of space activities... (China National Space Administration) |
$1,300 million | |
| ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore... (Indian Space Research Organization) |
$1,268 million | |
| ASI (Italian Space Agency) | $1,000 million | |
| ISA Iranian Space Agency The Iranian Space Agency is Iran's governmental space agency. Iran is an active participant in the Asian space race and became an orbital-launch-capable nation in 2009... (Iranian Space Agency) |
$500 million | |
| UKSA UK Space Agency The UK Space Agency is a United Kingdom government agency responsible for its civil space programme. It was established on 1 April 2010 to replace the British National Space Centre and took over responsibility for government policy and key budgets for space and represents the UK in all negotiations... (UK Space Agency) |
$414 million | |
| AEB Brazilian Space Agency The Brazilian Space Agency is the civilian authority in Brazil responsible for the country's burgeoning space program. It operates a spaceport at Alcântara and a rocket launch site at Barreira do Inferno... (Brazilian Space Agency) |
$343 million | |
| CSA (Canadian Space Agency) | $300 million | |
| KARI Korea Aerospace Research Institute The Korea Aerospace Research Institute is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon, in the Daedeok Science Town. Current projects include the KSLV launcher. Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite. The agency was founded in 1989... (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) |
$300 million | |
| NSAU (National Space Agency of Ukraine) | $250 million | |
| BELSPO (Belgian Federal Office for Science Policy) | $170 million | |
| CONAE Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales is the civilian agency of the government of Argentina in charge of the national space program.- History :... (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales) |
$148 million | |
| INTA Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial The Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial is Spain's space agency. It was founded in 1942, as the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeronáutica , and has its headquarters in Torrejón de Ardoz, near Madrid.... (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial) |
$135 million | |
| SNSB Swedish National Space Board The Swedish National Space Board is a Swedish government agency operating under the Swedish Ministry of Education and Science. SNSB distributes government grants to research and development, initiates research and development in space and remote sensing, and is the Swedish contact in international... (Swedish National Space Board) |
$100 million | |
| SUPARCO Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission , is an executive agency of the Government of Pakistan, responsible for nation's public and civil space program and aeronautics and aerospace research... (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) |
$82 million | |
| SRON Sròn Sròn is the Scottish Gaelic word for nose and is the name of some hills in the Scottish Highlands. Before the abolition of the acute accent in Scottish Gaelic, it was sometimes spelt as srón... (Netherlands Institute for Space Research) |
$26 million | |
| SSO Swiss Space Office Swiss Space Office is the national space program of the Switzerland. It was roughly the 16th highest funded public space agency with a budget of about 110 million USD in the early 2000s. According to Jane's, the SSO is "the administrative unit charged with planning and implementing Swiss space... (Swiss Space Office) |
$10 million | |
| AEM Agencia Espacial Mexicana The Mexican Space Agency is a space agency, approved by the Mexican Chamber of Deputies on April 20, 2010 after receiving a significant vote of confidence on April 26, 2006... (Mexican Space Agency) |
$8.34 million | |
| World | All space agencies (Total of listed budgets) | $38,894.77 million |