- By Aditi Priya Singh
- Fri, 17 Jan 2025 01:53 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Top 10 Space Agencies In The World: Space agencies worldwide play an important role in researching the universe and developing new technologies. NASA (United States of America) is the world's largest space organization, best known for revolutionary operations such as the landing of humans on the Moon and the exploration of Mars Rover. ISRO (India) is known for its cost-effective and innovative space projects, such as Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.
Other prominent organizations include CNSA (China) for its lunar and Mars initiatives, RFSA (Russia) for pioneering human spaceflight, and ESA (Europe) for collaborative missions. Here is the list of the top 10 space agencies in the world and their achievements to date;
1. National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA)
NASA is the world’s leading space agency in the USA which was established in 1958. Its achievements include historic milestones such as the Apollo Moon landings, Mars rovers and the James Webb Space Telescope. Recently, the Artemis program of NASA aims to return humans to the Moon by 2025.
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2. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Established in 1969, ISRO has come a long way in the field of space. It launched at least two cheaper missions-Chandrayaan (the Moon mission) and Mangalyaan (the Mars mission). On August 23, 2023, ISRO successfully landed Chandrayaan on the moon, making it the first country to do so at the South Pole.
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3. Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA)
RFSA was founded in 1992 by the Soviet era to represent the soviet legacy in space. This becomes the first space agency to send the first human Yuri Gagarin into space. Its major accomplishments are the collaborations with the International Space Station ( ISS) and modern launch vehicle development.
4. China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Founded in 1993, CNSA is known for its achievements incurred with Chang'e lunar mission and Tianwen-1 Mars mission missions. Recently, the completion of the Tiangong space station in China exemplifies China's space adventure.
5. European Space Agency (ESA)
European Space Agency was founded in 1975 and consists of 22 European nations. They conducted missions to shed light upon space through Rosetta, which studied a comet and a telescope Gaia. Recently, it launched a JUICE mission that will explore Jupiter's icy moons.
6. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
JAXA was founded in 2003 and it has proven itself through satellite launches and asteroid exploration. The Hayabusa-2 mission returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu and is currently concentrating on the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission.
7. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)
Established in 2002 by Elon Musk, SpaceX is an aerospace producer based in the United States of America. It revolutionized space travel with reusable rockets like Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Its most recent accomplishments include the construction of the Starship for exploring Mars and the deployment of the Starlink satellite constellation.
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8. National Centre For Space Studies (CNES)
The French agency was founded in 1961 and has been focusing on satellite technology and Earth observation. Recent major achievements included its role in the Galileo satellite navigation system and contributions to climate monitoring missions.
9. German Aerospace Center (DLR)
DLR, founded in 1969, focuses on aeronautics, energy, and space study. It has supported ESA missions and exploration of the solar system. It has recently worked on the Mars Express mission as well as Earth monitoring initiatives.
10. Italian Space Agency (ASI)
Founded in 1988, the Italian space agency has strong collaborations with ESA and NASA. It supported the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Mars rovers. It recently financed the creation of the JUICE mission, which will explore Jupiter's Icy moons.