Space Agencies
The agencies and institutions of spaceflight and astronomy.
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5- Organization
AAVSO
The American Association of Variable Star Observers — for more than a century, the organisation that gathers variable-star observations from amateurs worldwide into a single database that professional astronomers draw on. The model for how amateur and professional astronomy work together.
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AEB (Brazilian Space Agency)
The Agência Espacial Brasileira is the civilian agency responsible for Brazil's space programme.
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ALPO
The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, which coordinates amateur observation of the Moon, the planets, comets, and asteroids — organising observing programmes and archiving the results so that amateur monitoring of the Solar System adds up to something lasting.
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Arianespace
Arianespace is a European launch service provider that markets and operates launches of the Ariane family of rockets from the Guiana Space Centre.
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ASI (Italian Space Agency)
The Agenzia Spaziale Italiana is Italy's national space agency, a significant contributor to ESA and to international planetary science missions.
B
2C
7- Organization
California Association for Research in Astronomy
CARA, a partnership of Caltech and the University of California (with NASA as a partner), operates the W. M. Keck Observatory.
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Caltech/IPAC
IPAC at Caltech provides science operations and data archives for many infrared and survey missions, including Spitzer and WISE.
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Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
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CNEOS
NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which computes near-Earth-object orbits and impact risk and maintains the public fireball database. Its reported velocity for the 2014-01-08 bolide is the basis of a debated — and unconfirmed — claim of an interstellar meteor.
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CNES (French Space Agency)
The Centre National d'Études Spatiales is the French government space agency, a major contributor to ESA programmes and operator of the Guiana Space Centre.
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CNSA (China National Space Administration)
CNSA is the national space agency of the People's Republic of China, overseeing the country's civil space program including launch vehicles, lunar exploration, and crewed spaceflight.
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COSPAR
The Committee on Space Research, an international scientific body that coordinates space research across nations and maintains the planetary-protection policy that keeps missions from contaminating other worlds and Earth from returned samples.
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1E
8- Organization
ESA
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ESA Centre for Earth Observation
ESA's establishment for Earth observation, in Frascati, Italy. ESRIN acquires, processes, and distributes data from Europe's Earth-observation satellites and hosts ESA's Living Planet programme.
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ESA Space Weather Service Network
The operational space-weather arm of the European Space Agency's Space Safety programme, delivering forecasts, warnings, and data products — on solar activity, the near-Earth environment, and the ionosphere — to European operators of satellites, power grids, aviation, and navigation. The European counterpart to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
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EUMETSAT
The European organisation for the exploitation of meteorological satellites, operator of the Meteosat and Metop fleets.
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European Astronaut Centre
ESA's centre for the European astronaut corps, in Cologne, Germany. EAC trains ESA astronauts for missions to the International Space Station and prepares them for exploration beyond low Earth orbit.
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European Southern Observatory
ESO is a 16-nation intergovernmental organisation that builds and operates major ground-based observatories in Chile, including the VLT and the future ELT.
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European Space Astronomy Centre
ESA's centre for space science operations and archives, near Madrid, Spain. ESAC runs the science operations and data archives for ESA's astronomy and planetary missions, from Gaia and XMM-Newton to Mars Express.
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European Space Research and Technology Centre
ESA's largest establishment and technical heart, in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. ESTEC designs and tests almost every ESA spacecraft and instrument before flight.
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1I
9- Organization
Intelsat
One of the oldest and largest commercial geostationary communications satellite operators, operator of the first commercial GEO comsat, Early Bird.
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International Astronautical Federation
A global space-advocacy organisation that connects space agencies, companies, and societies worldwide and runs the annual International Astronautical Congress, the largest gathering of the space community.
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International Astronomical Union (IAU)
The international body, founded in 1919, that is the recognised authority for astronomical nomenclature and standards — it defines constellation boundaries, names celestial bodies and their features, and adopts the reference systems and constants used throughout astronomy, including the International Celestial Reference System.
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International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS)
The service that maintains the international celestial and terrestrial reference frames and the parameters linking them — the Earth orientation parameters. The IERS monitors the Earth's rotation and axis, publishes UT1−UTC and polar motion, and announces the leap seconds that keep civil time aligned with the turning Earth.
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International Meteor Organization
The global body that coordinates amateur meteor observation, collecting counts from observers around the world to measure the strength and structure of meteor showers and to study the streams of debris that cause them.
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International Telecommunication Union
The United Nations agency that allocates the global radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary and other orbital slots that satellites use, coordinating between nations and operators to prevent harmful interference.
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Iridium Communications
The operator of the Iridium (and Iridium NEXT) low-Earth-orbit voice and data communications constellation.
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Isar Aerospace
A German launch startup developing the small-lift Spectrum rocket.
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ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)
ISRO is the national space agency of India, responsible for the country's space exploration and satellite programs.
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3- Organization
JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
JAXA is Japan's national space agency, responsible for the country's aerospace research, satellite operations, and human spaceflight contributions including the Kibo module on the International Space Station.
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JAXA Tsukuba Space Center
JAXA's central hub, in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Tsukuba develops and tests satellites and rockets, trains Japanese astronauts, and operates the Kibo module on the International Space Station.
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Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
A university-affiliated research laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, that designs, builds, and operates robotic spacecraft. APL built New Horizons, MESSENGER, the Parker Solar Probe, and the DART planetary-defence mission.
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1L
1M
2- Organization
Maxar Technologies
A commercial operator of very-high-resolution Earth-imaging satellites, including the WorldView series.
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Minor Planet Center
The International Astronomical Union's clearinghouse for the astrometry, orbits, and designations of small Solar-System bodies — and of interstellar objects, to which it assigns the special "I" (interstellar) designations such as 1I, 2I, and 3I. It is operated under the auspices of the IAU.
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20- Organization
NASA
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NASA Ames Research Center
A NASA research centre in California's Silicon Valley focused on aeronautics, astrobiology, entry systems, small spacecraft, and supercomputing. Ames led the Kepler exoplanet mission's science.
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NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
NASA's centre for atmospheric flight research, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Armstrong flies experimental and research aircraft and supported the Space Shuttle's landings and approach tests.
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NASA Glenn Research Center
NASA's centre for aerospace propulsion, power, and communications, in Cleveland, Ohio. Glenn develops electric propulsion, space power systems, and the technologies that keep spacecraft running.
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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA's largest centre for Earth and space science, in Greenbelt, Maryland. Goddard builds and operates robotic science missions and manages flagship observatories including Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, whose science operations are run by the Space Telescope Science Institute.
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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a NASA federally funded research and development center in California that builds and operates robotic spacecraft.
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NASA Johnson Space Center
NASA's centre for human spaceflight, in Houston, Texas. Johnson is home to the astronaut corps and to Mission Control, which has directed crewed flights from Gemini and Apollo to the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.
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NASA Kennedy Space Center
NASA's primary launch centre, on Merritt Island, Florida, beside Cape Canaveral. Kennedy processes and launches crewed and robotic missions and is NASA's gateway for human spaceflight.
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NASA Langley Research Center
NASA's oldest field centre, in Hampton, Virginia, founded for aeronautics research. Langley works on atmospheric science, materials, and the entry, descent, and landing systems that deliver spacecraft to other worlds.
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NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA's centre for propulsion and launch vehicles, in Huntsville, Alabama. Marshall developed the Saturn V, elements of the Space Shuttle, and the Space Launch System, and manages many science payloads.
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NASA Stennis Space Center
NASA's principal rocket-engine test centre, in southern Mississippi. Stennis has tested the engines of the Saturn V, the Space Shuttle, and the Space Launch System.
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NASA Wallops Flight Facility
A NASA launch range on Virginia's eastern shore, managed by Goddard. Wallops flies sounding rockets, scientific balloons, and small orbital launches, and hosts a mid-Atlantic commercial launch pad.
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National Astronomical Observatories, CAS
The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences operate China's major astronomical facilities, including the FAST radio telescope.
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National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
The NAOJ is Japan's national centre for astronomy, operating the Subaru Telescope and partnering in ALMA.
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National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The NRAO operates major radio astronomy facilities for the US scientific community, including the VLA and (as a partner) ALMA.
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National Science Foundation
The US National Science Foundation funds and stewards major astronomy facilities, including LIGO, NOIRLab, and the NRAO.
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National Solar Observatory
The National Solar Observatory, an AURA centre funded by the NSF, operates the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope and the GONG network.
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NOAA
The U.S. agency operating the GOES geostationary and JPSS/POES polar weather satellites.
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Northrop Grumman Space Systems
The aerospace company (via the former Orbital Sciences / Orbital ATK) that operates the Antares, Pegasus, and Minotaur launch vehicles.
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NSF NOIRLab
NSF's NOIRLab is the US national centre for ground-based, night-time optical and infrared astronomy, operating Gemini, CTIO, Kitt Peak, and the Rubin Observatory.
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2R
3- Organization
Relativity Space
A launch company developing the medium-lift, reusable Terran R using large-scale additive manufacturing (3D printing).
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Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab is a commercial launch and space-systems company best known for the small-lift Electron rocket.
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Roscosmos
Roscosmos is the state corporation responsible for the space program of the Russian Federation.
S
7- Organization
SES
A major satellite operator running geostationary and medium-Earth-orbit (O3b) communications fleets.
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SETI Institute
A non-profit research institute in Mountain View, California, dedicated to understanding the origin and nature of life in the universe, including the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and astrobiology research.
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Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, runs the Chandra X-ray Center for NASA.
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Southwest Research Institute
An independent, non-profit research institute headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. SwRI leads the science of NASA missions including Juno, New Horizons, and Lucy, and builds spacecraft instruments.
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Space Telescope Science Institute
STScI conducts the science operations of the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes for NASA.
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Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)
NOAA's official source of space-weather forecasts, watches, and warnings — the operational centre that issues the Kp, G-, S-, and R-scale alerts used to protect power grids, satellites, and aviation.
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SpaceX
SpaceX is an American aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and launches rockets and spacecraft.
U
6- Organization
UAE Space Agency
The UAE Space Agency oversees the United Arab Emirates' space sector, including the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope) orbiter.
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UK Space Agency
The UK Space Agency is the executive agency responsible for the United Kingdom's civil space programme and its participation in ESA.
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United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance is an American launch service provider, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, that operates the Atlas and Delta families of rockets.
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United States Space Force
The U.S. military service that operates the GPS navigation constellation.
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UNOOSA
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, which promotes international cooperation in the peaceful use of space, supports the development of space law, and maintains the United Nations register of objects launched into space.
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USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey, which operates the Landsat archive jointly with NASA.