Space agency/agencies

Algeria

Algerian Space Agency (Agence Spatiale Algérienne, ASAL; established 2002) (2024)

Angola

National Space Program Office (Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional, GGPEN; established 2013) (2024)

Argentina

Argentina National Space Activities Commission (Comision Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE; formed in 1991); CONAE’s predecessor was the National Commission for Space Research (Comisión Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales, CNIE; formed in 1960) (2024)

Australia

Australian Space Agency (ASA; established 2018; headquarters opened in 2020); Defense Space Command (established 2022) (2024)

Austria

Aerospace Agency (established in 1972 as the Austrian Space Agency) (2024)

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency (NASA; Azərbaycan Milli Aerokosmik Agentliyi, MAKA; established in 1992 from the Kaspiy Scientific Center, established 1974); Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos; established 2010 as a state-owned satellite operating company) (2024)

Bahrain

Bahrain National Space Science Agency (NSSA; established 2014) (2024)

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO; established 1980) (2024)

Belarus

Belarus Space Agency (aka National Agency for Space Research; established 2009) (2023)

Belgium

Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy-Interfederal Space Agency of Belgium (BIRA-IASB; established 1964; IASB added 2017); Belgium Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) (2023)

Bhutan

announced in 2018 that it intends to establish a space agency, but has not yet done so (2023)

Bolivia

Bolivian Space Agency (la Agencia Boliviana Espacial, ABE; established 2010) (2023)

Botswana

no national government space agency; Botswana’s space program is the responsibility of the Botswana International University of Science, Technology (BIUST) under the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science, and Technology  (2023)

Brazil

Brazilian Space Agency (Agência Espacial Brasileira, AEB; established in 1994 when Brazil’s space program was transferred from the military to civilian control); National Institute for Space Research (established, 1971; part of the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations); Space Operations Command (Armed Forces); Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA; established in 1953 as a military space research program under the Brazilian Air Force)  (2023)

Bulgaria

Space Research and Technology Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS; formed in 1987 but originated from the Central Laboratory for Space Research and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which was established in 1969) (2023)

Canada

Canadian Space Agency (CSA; established 1989) (2023)

Chile

the Chilean Space Agency was established in 2001 and dissolved in 2014, at which time the space program became part of the Ministry of Defense; the Ministry of Science also participates in Chile’s space program (2023)

China

China National Space Administration (CNSA; established in 1993); Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND; subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology); People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF; established 2016; includes the Space Systems Department and the China Manned Space Engineering Office or CMSEO) (2023)

Colombia

Colombian Space Commission (Comision Colombiana Del Espacio, CCE; established 2006); Air and Space Operations Command (Colombian military); note – the Colombian Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Del Colombia, AEC) is a private, non-profit agency established in 2017  (2023)

Costa Rica

Costa Rican Space Agency (ACE; established 2021); ACE is a non-state, public entity subject to guidelines issued by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Telecommunications (2023)

Cote d'Ivoire

announced in 2021 that it was in the process of establishing a national space agency (space issues currently managed by the Ministry of Scientific Research)  (2023)

Denmark

no formal space agency; the Ministry of Higher Education and Science has responsibility for coordinating Danish space activities managing international cooperation; the Danish Space Research Institute (Dansk Rumforskningsinstitut (DRKI) was the country’s space agency from 1966-2005; DTU Space, National Space Institute, is Denmark’s national space institute (2023)

Ecuador

Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA; a private research and development institution in charge of the administration and execution of Ecuador’s space program, established 2007); Ecuadorian Space Institute (established 2012, disbanded 2018) (2023)

Egypt

Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA; public economic authority established 2019); National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science (NARSS; formed in 1994 from the Remote Sensing Center, which was established in 1971) (2023)

El Salvador

El Salvador Aerospace Institute (ESAI; established 2018) is an aerospace think tank that is authorized by the Salvadoran Government decree to lead the country’s national aerospace strategy (2023)

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute (ESSGI; formed in 2022 from the joining of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute or ESSTI and the Ethiopian Geospatial Information Institute or EGII) (2023)

European Union

the only EU agency dedicated to space is the EU Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA; established in 2021); the EUSPA originated with the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) set up in 2002 by the European Community (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to manage the development phase of Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation program; the GJU’s responsibilities were assumed by the European Global Navigation Satellite System Supervisory Authority (GSA) in 2007

the ESA (established 1975 from the European Launcher Development Organization and the European Space Research Organization, which were established in the early 1960s) is an independent organization although it maintains close ties with the EU through an ESA/EC Framework Agreement; the ESA and EC share a joint European Strategy for Space and have together developed a European Space Policy

the ESA has 22 member states; the national bodies responsible for space in these countries sit on ESA’s governing Council: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK; Canada also sits on the Council and takes part in some projects under a Cooperation Agreement; Slovenia, Latvia, and Lithuania are Associate Members; Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, and Slovakia have cooperation agreements with ESA; ESA has established formal cooperation with all member states of the EU that are not ESA members (2023)

France

National Center for Space Studies (Centre National D'études Spatiales, CNES; established 1961); established a military Space Command (Le Commandement de l’Espace, CDE) under the Air and Space Force, 2020 (2023)

Gabon

Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2023)

Germany

German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR; established 1997); predecessor organization, German Test and Research Institute for Aviation and Space Flight, was established in 1969; note – the Federal Republic of Germany was allowed to research space flight after gaining sovereignty in 1955 (2023)

Ghana

Ghana Space Science and Technology Center (GSSTC; established 2011); note – the GSSTC is eventually slated to become the Ghana Space Agency (2023)

Greece

Hellenic Space Center (HSC; aka Hellenic Space Agency; established 2018) (2023)

Hungary

Hungarian Space Office (HSO; established 1992) (2023)

India

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO; established 1969); the ISRO is subordinate to the Department of Space (DOS; established 1972); India’s first space organization was the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR; established 1962); Defense Space Agency (DSA; established 2019 to command the space assets of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; the Defense Imagery Processing and Analysis Center, Defense Satellite Control Center, and Defense Space Research Organization were also merged into the DSA); National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (established 2020 to facilitate India’s private sector in the country’s space program) (2023)

Indonesia

National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN; established 2021); BRIN integrated five previously separate Indonesian institutions, including the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space of Indonesia (Lembaga Penerbangan Dan Antariksa Nasional or LAPAN; established 1964), and nearly 50 governmental research divisions; BRIN is under the Ministry of Research and Technology and manages Indonesia’s space program through the Indonesian Space Agency (INASA; formed 2022) and the Research Organization for Aeronautics and Space (ORPA; formed 2021) (2023)

Iran

Iranian Space Agency (ISA; created in 2003 from merging the activities of the Iranian Remote Sensing Center and some of the activities of the Telecommunications Company of Iran); Iran Space Research Center (established, 2000); Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics; Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO; under the Ministry of Defense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Space Command (formed in 2020) (2023)

Iraq

announced in 2019 that the Iraqi Ministry of Communication was working with France to create a national space agency (2023)

Israel

Israel Space Agency (ISA; established 1983 under the Ministry of Science and Technology; origins go back to the creation of a National Committee for Space Research, established 1960); Ministry of Defense Space Department (2023)

Italy

Italian Space Agency (ISA; established 1988); Joint Space Operations Command (Comando Interforze delle Operazioni Spaziali or COS; established 2020) (2023)

Japan

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA; established in 2003); JAXA was established from the merger of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), the National Aerospace Laboratory of Japan (NAL), and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA); the military has a space operations squadron under the Japan Air Self-Defense Force to monitor and counter threats to satellites (2023)

Kazakhstan

National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazCosmos; established 2007) (2023)

Kenya

Kenya Space Agency (KSA; established, 2017); predecessor organization, the National Space Secretariat was established in 2009 (2023)

Korea, North

National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA; established 2013); predecessor organization, Korean Committee of Space Technology (KCST; established 1980s); State Space Development Bureau; Academy of Defense Science; Ministry of People’s Armed Forces (2023)

Korea, South

Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI; established 1989); Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI; funded by the South Korean Government); KARI works closely with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), a  national agency for research and development in defense technology established in 1970; established a military space branch in 2022; in 2022, announced plans to form a fully independent space agency for integrated management of both civil and military space programs (2023)

Lithuania

Lithuanian Space Office (established 2019; operates under the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology and focuses on developing links between Lithuanian space business, science, and public sectors, as well as the international space community); Lithuanian Space Association (established 2009; is an association of public and state-funded scientific and technology research institutes and private businesses behind much of Lithuania’s space program, including satellite development and ties to international space programs) (2023)

Luxembourg

the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA; established 2018) (2023)

Malaysia

Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA); MYSA was established in 2019 through the merging of the National Space Agency (ANGKASA; established 2002) and Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA; established 1998); Astronautic Technology Sd Bhd (ATSB; established 1995)  (2023)

Malta

Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST; established in 1988 by the Maltese Government as a public body to provide advice and coordinate on science, technology, and space-related issues) (2023)

Mexico

Mexican Space Agency (Agencia Espacial Mexicana or AEM; established 2010 and began operating in 2013); predecessor organization, the National Space Commission (Comisión Nacional del Espacio Exterior or CONEE was established in 1962 and terminated in 1977) (2023)

Mongolia

National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC; established 1987; under the Ministry of Infrastructure); Mongolian Space Technology Association (established 2019); Mongolian Communication and Information Technologies Authority (ACTI), Mongolian Digital Development and Communications Ministry (2023)

Morocco

Morocco Royal Center for Remote Sensing (Centre Royal de Télédétection Spatiale, CRTS; established 1989) (2023)

Netherlands

Netherlands Space Office (NSO; established 2009); Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON; advises NSO on scientific space research; established 1983) (2023)

New Zealand

New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA; established 2016 under the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment); Center for Space Science and Technology (CSST; established 2017) (2023)

Nicaragua

National Secretariat for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (Secretaría Nacional para Asuntos del Espacio Ultraterrestre, la Luna y otros Cuerpos Celestes, established 2021; operates under the military’s control) (2023)

Nigeria

National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA; established 1999); NARSDA originated from the National Centre for Remote Sensing and National Committee on Space Applications (both established in 1987), and the Directorate of Science (established 1993); Defense Space Administration (DSA; established 2014) (2023)

Norway

the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA, aka Norsk Romsenter; established 1987) (2023)

Oman

no government agency; the Government of Oman has established a limited liability company with the mission of spearheading a national satellite program initiative and building a national satellite communications infrastructure  (2023)

Pakistan

Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO; established 1961); National Remote Sensing Center (aka Resacent; established 1980) (2023)

Paraguay

Special Agency of Paraguay (Agencia Especial del Paraguay, AEP; established 2014) (2023)

Peru

National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacia, CONIDA; established 1974); National Satellite Imagery Operations Center (Centro Nacional de Operaciones de Imágenes Satelitales, CONIS; established 2006) (2023)

Philippines

Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA; established 2019); Philippine Space Council (PSC; established in 2019 as an advisory body responsible for coordinating and integrating policies, programs and resources affecting space science and technology applications); prior to PhilSA’s establishment, the Philippine’s space program was decentralized under several organizations, including the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) (2023)

Poland

Polish Space Agency (POLSA; established 2014; operational in 2015); Space Research Center (SRC, interdisciplinary research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences that acted as Poland’s space agency until POLSA was established in 1977) (2023)

Portugal

Portugal Space (aka Portuguese Space Agency or Agência Espacial Portuguesa; established 2019); Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; government agency that funds space research established in 2009) (2023)

Romania

Romanian Space Agency (Agentia Spatiala Romania, ROSA; established 1991) (2023)

Russia

State Space Corporation of the Russian Federation (Roscosmos); Roscosmos was established in 2015 from a merger of the Federal Space Agency and the state-owned United Rocket and Space Corporation; began as the Russian Space Agency (RSA or RKA) in 1992 and restructured in 1999 and 2004 as the Russian Aviation and Space Agency and then the Federal Space Agency); the Russian Space Forces (Kosmicheskie voyska Rossii, KV) are part of the Russian Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily, VKS)  (2023)

note: Russia’s space strategy is defined jointly by Roscosmos and the Ministry of Defense; prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the USSR’s space program was dispersed amongst several civil and military organizations

Rwanda

Rwanda Space Agency (RSA; established 2020 and approved by legislature in 2021)  (2023)

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Space Commission (SSC; established 2018); King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST; established 1977); KACST includes the Space and Aeronautics Research Institute (SARI; established 2000) (2023)

Singapore

no national government agency; Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTin) was established in 2013 as a non-government space economic development program with the role of coordinating local space-related industry, universities, international businesses, and government agencies to encourage the development of space technologies in the private sector; the Center for Remote Sensing and Processing (CRISP) is under the National University of Singapore and established with funding from the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research of Singapore; CRISP’s mission is to develop an advanced capability in remote sensing (RS) to meet the scientific, operational, and business requirements of Singapore and the region (2023)

Slovakia

no national government agency; the Slovak Space Office is responsible for inter-ministerial political coordination and multilateral international cooperation; it serves as the official national contact point for international cooperation between space agencies, offices, associations, businesses, and research entities, and is part of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research, and Sport (2023)

South Africa

South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010); South Africa Council for Space Affairs (SACSA; statutory body established 1995); South African Radio Telescope Observatory (SARAO)  (2023)

Spain

Spanish Space Agency (became operational in April 2023); previously, the National Institute of Aerospace Technology (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial or INTA, established 1942), a public research organization that depends on the Ministry of Defense, acted as Spain’s space agency; Space Command (Mando del Espacio or MESPA; established January 2024); Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI); Catalan Space Agency (established 2021); Valencian Space Consortium (established 2009) (2024)

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Aeronautics and Space Agency (SLASA; established 2019); Space Applications Division of the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies (ACCIMT; created 1984) (2023)

Sudan

Institute of Space Research and Aerospace (ISRA; established 2013); Remote Sensing and Seismology Authority (RSSA; first established in 1977 as the Remote Sensing Authority or RSA) (2023)

Sweden

Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA; established 1972; known until 2018 as the Swedish National Space Board) (2023)

Switzerland

Switzerland does not have its own national space agency; it does most of its research and development within the framework of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) activities and programs; the Swiss Space Office, under the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI), is the government body responsible for space matters, including implementing national space policy, coordinating space activities, serving as the government point of contact for space industry and scientific institutions, and representation with the ESA and other international partners; the Federal Commission on Space Affairs provides advice and recommendations to the Federal Council on space matters; the Committee on Space Research of the Swiss Academy of Sciences coordinates and stimulates space research in Switzerland (2023)

Syria

Syrian Space Agency (created in 2014); General Organization of Remote Sensing (GORS; established 1986 to replace the National Remote Sensing Center, established 1981) (2023)

Taiwan

Taiwan Space Agency (TASA; renamed from the National Space Program Organization, which was renamed in 2005 from the National Space Program Office, established in 1991); TASA is subordinate to the National Science and Technology Council (2023)

Thailand

Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA, under the Ministry of Science and Technology; created in 2000 from the Thailand Remote Sensing Center that was established in 1979); National Space Policy Committee (NSPC; advisory body to the prime minister) (2023)

Tunisia

the National Center of Cartography and Remote Sensing (Centre National de la Cartographie et de la Télédétection or CNCT; established in 1988 and directs Tunisia’s space activities; is a non-administrative public company under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense); Tunisian National Commission for Outer Space Affairs (NCOSA; established 1984 to oversee the space-related activities of government ministries); note – the Tunisian Space Agency is a non-profit, non-governmental scientific association created in June 2012 to promote the field of aerospace in Tunisia (2023)

Turkey (Turkiye)

Turkish Space Agency (TUA; established 2018); TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute (UZAY; established in 1985 as Ankara Electronics Research and Development Institute); Turkish Space Systems, Integration and Test Center (USET) is a spacecraft production and testing facility owned by the Ministry of National Defense and operated by its subordinate Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) (2023)

Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan National Space Agency (established 2011; in 2019, was transferred to the Space Directorate of Turkmenaragatnashik Agency) (2023)

Uganda

no national agency; the space program resides under the Ministry of Science, Technologies, and Innovation (MoSTI) (2023)

Ukraine

State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU; established 1992 as the National Space Agency of Ukraine or NSAU; renamed in 2010) (2023)

United Arab Emirates

UAE Space Agency (created in 2014); Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC; established 2006); in 2015, MBRSC combined with the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST; established 2006)  (2023)

United Kingdom

UK Space Agency (UKSA; established in 2010); the UKSA replaced the British National Space Center (BNSC; organized in 1985); UK Space Command (formed 2021) (2023)

United States

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; established 1958); National Reconnaissance Office (NRO; established in 1961 and responsible for designing, building, launching, and maintaining intelligence satellites); US Space Command (USSPACECOM; originally created in 1985 but was deactivated in 2002 and its duties were transferred to US Strategic Command; re-established 2019 and responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations over 100 kilometers or 62 miles above mean sea level); USSPACECOM has two field commands: Combined Force Space Component Command and the Joint Task Force Space Defense; the US Space Force (established 2019) is a military branch with subordinate commands as well as the Space Development Agency (SDA; established 2019 to help integrate emerging technologies into US military space programs) (2023)

Uruguay

drafted a bill to establish a space agency to be named the Uruguayan Space Agency, 2022  (2023)

Uzbekistan

Agency for Space Research and Technology (Uzbekcosmos; established 2019) (2023)

Venezuela

Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (Agencia Bolivariana para Actividades Espaciales, ABAE; formed 2007); ABAE was originally known as the Venezuelan Space Center (CEV; created 2005); the ABAE is under the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (2023)

Vietnam

Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC; established 2011; formerly known as the Vietnam National Satellite Center); Space Technology Institute (STI; established 2006); both the VNSC and the STI operate under the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (VAST); Ministry of Science and Technology (2023)

World

more than 90 countries, plus the EU, have national space agencies (2023)

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency (ZINGSA; established in 2019 and officially launched in 2021; under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development) (2023)