5.02.2006
A World of Space Agencies
Last week Mexico moved toward the creation of a national space agency when the lower chamber of congress approved a law that would create the Mexican Space Agency. Next, the senate must ratify and the president sign the bill. While the initial budget of the agency would be quite miniscule -- just $2 million -- as one Mexican space enthusiast posted in an online discussion, "it's expected that by the beginning of next year the governmental agency starts operations... This would be Mexico's first governmental space related office in more than 30 years, after the closure of the National Commission for the External Space in the early 70's. The creation of the Mexican Space Agency has been a long fought dream of many generations, and this is the closest it has been to its creation. Hopefully everything will go ok, and Mexico will be able to become a space faring nation."As the new space era advances, more nations will fund their own space endeavors, support their citizen space tourists and entrepreneurs and join the space club.
For now, here is a list of national space agencies around the world -- outside the US (and please e-mail me links to any additional sites or other updates you may have):
Argentina - National Commission on Space Activities (CONAE)
Australia - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)
Austria - Austrian Space Agency
Bangladesh - Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization
Belgium - Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Brazil - Brazilian Space Agency (AEB)
- Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE)
Bulgaria - Bulgarian Aerospace Agency
Canada - Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
China - China National Space Administration (CNSA)
Denmark - Danish Space Research Institute
Europe - European Space Agency (ESA)
Finland - Finland National Technology Agency (Tekes)
France - Centre Nationale d' Etudes Spatiales (CNES); Centre d'Études et de Recherches de Toulouse (CERT); Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA)
Germany - German Space Agency (DLR)
Greece - Greek Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing
Hungary - Hungarian Space Office
India - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Indonesia - Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (LAPAN) National Institute of Aeronautics and Space
Iran - Iran Space Agency (ISA)
Israel - Israel Ministry of Science and Technology
Italy - Italian Space Agency (ASI)
Japan - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Korea - Korea Aerospace Research Institute
Lebanon - National Center for Remote Sensing
Netherlands - Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs; National Aerospace Laboratory(NLR); Space Research Organization Netherlands (SRON)
Nigeria - National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Norway - Norwegian Space Center
Pakistan - Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco)
Peru - National Commission for Aerospace Research & Development (CONIDA)
Poland - Space Research Centre
Portugal - National Institute of Industrial Engineering and Technology (INETI)
Romania - Romanian Space Agency
Russia - Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA)
Saudi Arabia - Space Research Institute (SRI)
Spain - Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA)
Sweden - Swedish National Space Board (SNSB); Swedish Space Corporation (SSC); Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF)
Switzerland - Swiss Space Office (SSO)
Taiwan - National Space Program Office (NSPO)
Thailand - Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA)
Turkey - Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (Tubitak)
Ukraine - National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU)
United Kingdom - British National Space Centre
