List of government space agencies This is a list of government agencies engaged in activities related to outer space and space exploration. (There is also a List of private spaceflight companies.) As of 2018, 72 different government space agencies are in existence; 14 of those have launch capability. Six government space agencies—the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA or Roscosmos)—have full launch capabilities; these include the ability to launch and recover multiple satellites, deploy cryogenic rocket engines and operate extraterrestrial probes. 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 applicable. 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. List of space agencies Chart on Wikipedia is color-coded. Name Initialisms Country Founded Ter Capabilities of the space agency /Acronym min ate Astronauts Operates Sounding Recoverable d Satellites Rockets Biological Sounding capable Rockets capable Air Force Space AFSPC 15 September — Command United 1985 Yes Yes Yes No States Australian Space ASA 1st July 2018 — Agency Australia No Yes No No Belarus Space BSA 2010 — No No Yes No Agency Belarus Central American ACAE 2010 — Costa Association for Rica Aeronautics and Space No Yes No No (Spanish: Asociación Centroamericana de Aeronáutica y el Espacio) Aeronautics and CIDA-E 5 August 1975 — Space Research and Uruguay Diffusion No No No No Center[citation needed] (Spanish: Centro de Investigación y Difusión Aeronáutico-Espacial) Mexican Space AEM 30 July 2010 — Agency Mexico Yes Yes Yes No (Spanish: Agencia Espacial Mexicana) Algerian Space ASAL 16 January — Agency Algeria 2002 French: Agence Spatiale Algérienne No Yes No No Berber: Tafullut Tadzayrit n Tallunt الوكالة الفضائية الجزائرية :Arabic Asia Pacific AP-MCSTA show February 1992 — Multilateral International Cooperation in Space Technology and No Yes No No Applications[citation needed] (Chinese: 亚太空间技术应 用多边合作会议) Asia-Pacific Space APSCO show 28 October — Cooperation International 2005 Organization No Yes No No Chinese: 亚太空间合作组织 German: Agentur für Luft- ALR 12 July 1972 — und Raumfahrt (Aeronautics and Austria Space Agency); also Austrian Space No No No No Agency; (Austrian Solar and Space Agency 1977– 1987) Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan AMAKA 21 February — Milli Aerokosmik Agentliyinin Azerbaijan 1974 (Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency) No Yes No No (Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency 1974–2013 AzerCosmos[10]) Bahrain’s National NSSA 9 April 2014 — Space Science Bahrain No No No No Agency (NSSA) Dutch: Belgisch Instituut BIRA 25 November — voor Ruimte-Aëronomie French: Institut IASB Belgium 1964 d’Aéronomie Spatiale de BISA Belgique Yes No No No (Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy) Spanish: Agencia ABAE 1 January — Bolivariana para Venezuela 2008 Actividades No Yes No No Espaciales (Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities) Portuguese: Agência AEB 10 February — Brazil Espacial Brasileira 1994 Yes Yes [14] No (Brazilian Space Yes Agency) UK Space Agency UKSA 1 April 2010 — United Yes Yes Yes Yes Kingdom Bolivian Space ABE 2012 — Agency Spanish: Bolivia No Yes No No Agencia Boliviana Espacial Bulgarian: Българска ИКИ-БАН 1987 — академия на науките SRI-BAS (Space Research Bulgaria ИСЗВ-БАН Institute, Solar- STIL-BAS Yes Yes No No Terrestrial Influences Institute) Bulgarian Space Agency Canadian Space CSA 1 March 1989 — Agency ASC Canada Yes Yes Yes No French: Agence spatiale canadienne China National CNSA 22 April 1993 — China Space Administration Yes Yes Yes Yes (Chinese: 国家航天局) Spanish: Comisión CCE 18 July 2006 — Colombiana del Espacio (Colombian Space Colombia No Yes No No Commission) Centre for Remote CRISP 1995 — Imaging, Sensing Singapore and No Yes No No Processing[citation needed] Consultative CCSDS show 1982 — Committee for Space International No No No No Data Systems Committee on Space COSPAR show 1958 — Research International No No No No Czech: Ministerstvo [1] 2003[citation — dopravy České Ministry of Czech needed] republiky Transport of Republic (Ministry of Transport of the the Czech No No No No Czech Republic - Space Technologies and Satellite Republic Systems Department[citation needed][26]) Danish: Danmarks DRC 1 January 31 Rumcenter DNSC 1968 Dece (Danish National Denmark mber Yes No No No Space Center) 2006 Danish: Dansk [permane 1 January 31 Rumforskningsinstitut DRKI 2005 Dece (Danish Space nt dead link] Denmark mber No Yes No No Research Institute) DSRI 2006 European Space ESA show 31 May 1975 — Agency ASE ESA (French: Agence spatiale EWO Yes Yes Yes Yes européenne) (German: Europäische Weltraumorganisation) Geo-Informatics and GISTDA 3 November — Space Technology สทอภ Thailand 2002 Development Agency (Thai: No Yes No No ส ำนักงำนพัฒนำเทคโนโลยีอว กำศและภูมิสำรสนเทศ) German: Deutsches DLR 1969 — Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt Germany Yes Yes Yes No (German Aerospace Center) Hungarian: Magyar MŰI January 1992 — Űrkutatási Iroda HSO (Hungarian Space Hungary No Yes No No Office) Indian Space ISRO 15 August — India Research इसरो 1969 Organisation Yes Yes Yes Yes (Hindi: भारतीय अंतररक्ष अनुसंधान संगठन) Greek: Ινστιτούτο ΙΔΕΤ 1955 — Διαστημικών Εφαρμογών και Τηλεπισκόπησης ISARS Greece (Institute for Space No Yes No No Applications and Remote Sensing) Instituto Nacional de INTA 1942 — Spain Técnica Yes Yes Yes No Aeroespacial Iranian Space ISA Iran 2003 — Agency No Yes Yes Yes سازمان فضايی :Persian) (ايران Israeli Space Agency ISA April 1983 — Israel סל"ה סוכנות החלל :Hebrew) Yes Yes Yes No (הישראלית Italian Space Agency ASI 1988 — Italy (Italian: Agenzia Spaziale Yes Yes Yes No Italiana) Japan Aerospace JAXA 1 October — Exploration Agency Japan 2003 (Japanese: 宇宙航空研究開 Yes Yes Yes Yes 発機構) National Space NSA 1991 — Agency (KazCosmos Kazakhstan (KazCosmos); ); Yes Yes No No Kazakh Space SRI Research Institute New Zealand Space NZSA April 2016 — New No No No No Agency Zealand Korean Committee of KCST North 1980s 2013 Space Technology Korea (Korean: No Yes Yes No 조선우주공간기술위원회) National Aerospace NADA North 2013 — Development Korea Administration No Yes Yes No (Korean: 국가우주개발국) Korea Aerospace KARI 10 October — South Research Institute 1989 Korea Yes Yes Yes No (Korean: 한국항공우주연구원) Lithuanian Space LSA 2007 — [citation Association Lithuania No Yes No No needed] Malaysian National ANGKASA 2002 — Space Agency Malaysia (Malay: Agensi Yes Yes No No Angkasa Negara) National Aeronautics NASA 1 October — and Space United 1958 Yes Yes Yes Yes Administration States National Authority for NARSS 1994 — Egypt Remote Sensing and Space Sciences No Yes No No الهيئة العامة :Arabic) لﻻستشعار عن بعد وعلوم (الفضاء French: Centre National CNES 19 December — d’Études Spatiales 1961 (National Center of France Yes Yes Yes No Space Research) Paraguayan Space AEP 26 March — Agency Paraguay 2014 No No No No (Spanish: Agencia Espacial del Paraguay) Spanish: Comisión CONIDA 11 June 1974 — Nacional de Investigación y Peru Desarrollo Aeroespacial (National No Yes Yes No Commission for Aerospace Research and Development) Spanish: Comisión CNIE 1961 1991 Nacional de Investigaciones Espaciales Argentina (National No No Yes Yes Commission for Space Research) Spanish: Comisión CONAE 28 May 1991 — Nacional de Actividades Espaciales Argentina (National Space No Yes Yes No Activities Commission) Indonesian: Lembaga LAPAN 27 November — Antariksa dan Penerbangan Nasional Indonesia 1964 (National Institute of Yes Yes Yes No Aeronautics and Space) National Remote NRSC 1987 — Sensing Center of Mongolia Mongolia[citation No No No No needed] French: Centre national de CNT 1988 — la cartographie et de la télédétection Tunisia المركز الوطني لﻹستشعار :Arabic) (عن بعد (National Remote No No No No Sensing Center of Tunisia)[citation needed] Uzbek State Space USSRA 2001 — Research Agency (UzbekCosm Uzbekistan No No No No (UzbekCosmos) os) Ukrainian: Національне НКАУ 2 March 1992 — космічне агентство України NSAU Ukraine (National Space Yes Yes Yes No Agency of Ukraine) National Space NSPO 3 October — Organization Republic of 1991 (Chinese: 國家太空 China No Yes Yes No 中心) (Taiwan) National Space NASRDA 1998 — Research and Nigeria No Yes No No Development Agency Dutch: Stichting SRON 1983 — Ruimteonderzoek Nederland Netherland (Institute for Space s Yes Yes No No Research Netherlands) Norwegian: Norsk NRS 1987 — Romsenter NSC Norway No Yes Yes No (Norwegian Space Centre) Pakistan Space and SUPARCO 16 September — Pakistan 1961 سپارکو Upper Atmosphere Research No Yes Yes No Commission پاکستان خﻻئی و باﻻ فضائی :Urdu) (تحقيقاتی کميشن Portuguese: Gabinete do [58] 2009 — Espaço da FCT (FCT Space FCT SO Portugal No No No No Office)[citation needed] Romanian: Agenţia Spaţială ASR 1991 — Română ROSA (Romanian Space Romania Yes Yes No No Agency) former Egypt Remote EASRT-RSC 1971 1994 Egypt Sensing Center No No No No French: Centre Royal de CRTS December — Télédétection Spatiale Berber: Ammas Amrrukan n Morocco 1989 Tallunt