List of space agencies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of government agencies engaged in activities related to outer space and space exploration.
[edit] International/Global space agencies
[edit] United Nations - Office for Outer Space Affairs
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) is an organization of the General Assembly charged with implementing the Assembly's space-related policies. It is located in the United Nations Office in Vienna. The Office implements the Programme on Space Applications and maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space. The Office also provides support to developing nations in using space technology for economic development.
[edit] International/Regional space agencies
[edit] European Space Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to exploration of space with currently 17 member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). According to its website, “By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, [ESA] can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.” Its headquarters are in Paris, France. ESA has a staff (excluding sub-contractors and national space agencies) of about 1,900 with a budget of 3 billion euros in 2005.
[edit] National space agencies
[edit] Argentina
The Argentine Space Agency (CONAE), founded in 1996, is oriented to the development of Earth Observing satellites. It has developed several satellite missions including SAC-A, the failed mission SAC-B and the currently operating SAC-C
[edit] Australia
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has divisions for Astronomy & Space Facilities, Astrophysics, Radio Astronomy, and Space Engineering.
[edit] Austria
The Austrian Space Agency was founded in 1977 and later joined the ESA in 1987.
[edit] Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization was established in 1980.
[edit] Belgium
The Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy was created in 1964.
[edit] Brazil
The Brazilian Space Agency, founded in 1994, directs one of the youngest space programs. Brazil's space program is the most advanced in South America. It suffered a major setback in 2003 due to a rocket explosion that killed several technicians. They had their first success on October 23, 2004 with a VSV-30, or Brazilian Exploration Vehicle, launched on a sub-orbital mission. The agency's primary launch site is at Alcântara.
[edit] Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Aerospace Agency was established in 1969.
[edit] Canada
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA or, in French, the ASC) is the government agency responsible for Canada's space program.
It was established in March 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act and sanctioned in December 1990. The agency is led by its president, who reports to the Minister of Industry.
[edit] Czech Republic
See Czech Space Office.
[edit] Denmark
The Danish National Space Center was established on January 1, 2005. It came about as a result of combining the Danish Space Research Institute with the geodesy part of the National Survey and Cadastre of Denmark.
[edit] France
See CNES.
[edit] Germany
[edit] Greece
See Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing.
[edit] Hungary
[edit] India
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), was established on August 15, 1969 under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It manages all of India's space activities, and has a well developed space programme.
ISRO has capability to build and launch satellites up to 2000 kg into polar and geostationary orbit. It has 2 major satellite launch vehicles called PSLV (Polar satellite launch vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous satellite Launch Vehicle). Most of ISRO's programs are geared towards nation building, though there are a few efforts in scientific research and space exploration. ISRO has started the work on its first Unmanned Lunar program called Chandrayaan-1 (Moon-Ship-1) which is slated to be launched by 2007.
[edit] Indonesia
See National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN).
[edit] Iran
The Iranian Space Agency (ISA), is a governmental organization and the president of this organization is one of the deputies of the ministry of communication and information technology. ISA is established to do research, design and implementation in the field of space technology ; remote sensing and development of national and international space technology and communication networks.ISA performs the approvals of the Iran Space Council(ISC), which is established in order to peacefully use space technology and science and the above atmosphere space to develop the culture, technology science and finance of the country. The head of ISC is the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
[edit] Israel
See Israeli Space Agency.
[edit] Italy
The Italian Space Agency was established in 1988.
[edit] Japan
The Japan Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA) is Japan's aerospace agency. It was formed October 1, 2003, by the merger of NASDA, the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan and the Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science.
[edit] Malaysia
Angkasa was established in 2002.
[edit] Netherlands
See Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON).
[edit] Nigeria
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) was established in 1998.
[edit] North Korea
[edit] Norway
[edit] Pakistan
The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), was established on September 16, 1961 on the advice of Dr. Abdus Salam. Consequently, a Space Sciences Research Wing of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) was established through an Executive Order of the President of Pakistan, also on the September 16, 1961. Since then, the space agency had been neglected and ignored; it wasn't until the late 1990s did the government seriously take SUPARCO, and since then has successfully developed and launched 2 satellites into space, BADR-I and BADR-B.
On February 3, 2006 President Pervez Musharraf visited the SUPARCO labs in Karachi and pledged to put Pakistan in the space map. Future plans for SUPARCO are to develop its own satellite launch vehicle, send Pakistani astronauts into orbit and to conduct unmanned space missions to the moon.
See Official Website of SUPARCO
[edit] People's Republic of China
The China National Space Administration is the civilian agency in the People's Republic of China that is responsible for national space policy. The agency was created in 1993 when the Ministry of Aerospace Industry was split in two, with the other part being the China Aerospace Corp. China became only the third country on Earth to send a human into space independently on October 15, 2003 when Yang Liwei piloted the Shenzhou V mission, accomplishing 14 orbits before returning to Earth the next day.
On October 12, 2005 China sent its second spacecraft into space, the ShenZhou 6. The ShenZhou 6 carries 2 astronauts and it stayed in space for 5 days. The China National Space Administration agency allowed most television stations in China to broadcast the blast-off.
[edit] Peru
See Peru Space Agency (CONIDA).
[edit] Poland
See Space Research Centre, part of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
[edit] Republic of China (Taiwan)
See National Space Organization.
[edit] Romania
[edit] Russia
The Russian Federal Space Agency (FKA, Roskosmos) (in Russian: Федеральное космическое агенство), is the government agency responsible for Russia's space science program. It was formed after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the dissolution of the Soviet space program.
[edit] Spain
See Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial.
[edit] South Korea
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) was established in 1981.
[edit] Sweden
See Swedish National Space Board.
[edit] Switzerland
See Swiss Space Office.
[edit] Thailand
The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) was established 2 November 2002.
[edit] Ukraine
The National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) is the Ukrainian government agency responsible for space policy and programs, established in 1992. It oversees Ukraine's national and commercial space research, construction, and launch programs. Launches are conducted at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russia, and on the Sea Launch platform.
[edit] United Kingdom
See British National Space Centre.
[edit] United States
In July 29, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). When it began operations on October 1, 1958, NASA consisted mainly of the four laboratories and some 8,000 employees of the government's 46-year-old research agency for aeronautics, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). However, within little more than a decade the United States, through NASA, placed the first human, Neil Armstrong, on the moon.
The United States also produced the first non-governmental spaceflight when Mike Melvill piloted Scaled Composites' SpaceShipOne on its first flight past the edge of space on June 21, 2004
[edit] Defunct space agencies
[edit] Soviet Union
See Soviet space program.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Space Science, In Persian Language [دانش فضايي]fr:Liste des agences spatiales
he:סוכנות חלל hu:Űrügynökség pl:Agencja kosmiczna fi:Luettelo avaruusjärjestöistä
