Space nation
A nation that is able to use its own launch vehicles to launch its own satellites into space is referred to as a space travel nation or state .
Only the USA , the Soviet Union , Russia and China have operated or still operate manned spaceflight . Also plans to India for the early 2020s years the launch of its own manned spaceship.
See also: Overview of today's launch vehicles , sorted by country
Active space nations
China
The People's Republic of China has been promoting space travel for a long time . On October 15, 2003, it sent the first Taikonaut into orbit in a Shenzhou spaceship. In addition to Russia and the USA , China is the third country to be able to carry out manned space flights. The focus of the country is currently on the further development of the Shenzhou program. Its own space station was built ( Tiangong 1 ), and an unmanned lunar landing mission in 2020 ( Chang'e 5 ) and a manned landing mission up to 2030 are planned. The first launch of an unmanned lunar probe named Chang'e-1 took place on October 24, 2007.
China today has the world's second largest selection of launch vehicles and was the country with the most orbital launches in 2018. The Chinese government has been promoting the establishment of private space companies since 2014
European states in the network of ESA
With the Ariane rocket, Europe has taken a dominant position in the transport of commercial satellites into space, after having previously failed to develop its own launch vehicle for Europe in the 1960s and 1970s . However, several French Diamant- type rockets and a British Black Arrow rocket in 1971 successfully placed satellites into Earth orbit in the 1960s and 1970s . After ESA worked very closely with the USA in the 1980s, for example with the Spacelab project, other opportunities for cooperation arose after the fall of the Iron Curtain . The first steps were taken by visiting European astronauts on the Mir space station . Europe is participating in the construction and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) with elements specially developed for this purpose. The Columbus module is a science laboratory that was installed on the ISS on February 11, 2008. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) served as a supply spaceship for the ISS for several years .
India
Also, India is strengthening its space activities and has already had several in their own country built satellites and launchers (ASLV, PSLV, GSLV) refer. India carried out the first successful satellite launch on July 18, 1980, and the first Chandrayaan-1 lunar probe was launched on October 22, 2008. The driving force behind the development was the former President APJ Abdul Kalam , who was previously responsible for developing the country's rocket and space program and, alongside Vikram Sarabhai, is considered the father of Indian space travel . In the long term, the Indian space agency is pursuing the goal of manned space flight.
Iran
On February 2, 2009, Iran succeeded for the first time in launching a satellite ( Omid ) into space. According to Iranian sources, the satellite circled the earth 15 times a day and took unspecified measurements. Iran will have three more satellite launches by 2015. The country now has three launch vehicle projects: The Safir , which was used for the first launches , the Simorgh , which has been unsuccessful so far (April 2020), and the military-run Ghased .
Israel
Israel made the first successful launch of its Shavit launcher in 1988 . Since then there have been other launches, usually several years apart. The payload consisted of military Ofeq satellites . The take-offs from the Palmachim take- off site are unusual in a westerly direction so as not to have to fly over the neighboring countries to the east during the take-off phase.
Japan
In Japan 's own launch vehicles, satellites and space probes are also being developed. Japan is also participating in the ISS with the Kibō module. The very visionary space policy has not yet been fully implemented in practice. Again and again, setbacks and financial problems led to delays, although the population, unlike the Europeans, is more open to the projects.
North Korea
North Korea's space program is based on the Taepodong-2 ICBM and is therefore in tension with UN Security Council Resolution 1718 of 2006, which prohibits North Korea from launching ballistic missiles. However, North Korea relies on the space exploration right under the Space Treaty .
A launch of this rocket took place on April 5, 2009. North Korea claimed the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite entered orbit on schedule, but US radar stations tracking the launch reported the missile failed to enter orbit and fell into the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, a successful launch on December 12, 2012, during which a satellite was brought into earth orbit.
Russia and Ukraine
The Soviet space arrive late 1950s and early 1960s many firsts, especially the launch of the first artificial satellite ( Sputnik 1 , 1957) and the first manned space flight ( Vostok 1 , 1961). However, the Soviet manned lunar program failed, and after the US moon landing, Soviet space travel focused on space stations in orbit and on long-term flights. With Buran its own space plane should be developed, the program was discontinued after only one unmanned test flight.
Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia is one of the leading space nations. The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) always includes at least one Russian spaceman, and the Soyuz spaceships are an indispensable part of the operation, as are the unmanned Progress transporters. Russia also plays a major role in unmanned space travel. Until 2015, most of the satellite launches were carried out with Russian rockets, especially the Soyuz and Proton types .
Recently, Russia lost market leadership for satellite launches to the highly innovative US company SpaceX . Delays in the introduction of new Russian launch vehicles such as the Angara and Soyuz-5 contributed to this. American alternatives were also developed for supplying the ISS. In addition, the conflict with Ukraine lost know-how, suppliers and rocket models such as the Dnepr and the Zyklon , which had previously launched in Russia.
Ukraine has been looking for cooperation with Western companies since the collapse of the Soviet Union. For example, the Ukrainian rocket Zenit took place together with the Swiss Sea Launch , and a new cyclone launch site in Canada is in preparation. The US American Firefly Aerospace has Ukrainian owners and has parts of its missiles developed in Ukraine.
South Korea
Since 2002, South Korea has been planning to build its own launch vehicle called "KSLV-I" on the basis of the independently developed sounding rocket KSR , in order to be able to transport small satellites weighing up to 100 kilograms into space. But the South Korean government soon decided that South Korea should be one of the ten leading space nations by 2015. The original KSLV program was too limited to realize the ambitious plans. As a result, at the end of 2004, Russian space company GKNPZ Khrunichev was commissioned to develop the first stage of the KSLV-I, which is now to be based on the much larger Angara . South Korea wants to continue the development in order to then build the more powerful successor models “KSLV-2” and “KSLV-3”.
After two false starts in 2009 and 2010, the third start of the KSLV-1 from the Naro Space Center was successful on January 30, 2013. Since the STSAT-2C satellite reached earth orbit on schedule, South Korea is also one of the space travel states.
United States
The history of space travel in the United States officially began with the National Aeronautics and Space Act , signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 29, 1958 , which provided for the creation of NASA . The new authority began its work on October 1, 1958. At that time it consisted of four laboratories and around 8,000 employees, who came from the 43-year-old National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). A good eleven years later, NASA celebrated its most spectacular success with the first manned moon landing . Other milestones were the first flight of the Space Shuttle in April 1981 - it remained in operation for 30 years - and the successful introduction of reusable rocket stages by the US company SpaceX in 2017.
The United States now has the broadest range of launch vehicles and launch sites and is always present with at least two astronauts on board the ISS.
States with their own missile development projects
These states planned or are planning to operate their own carrier files.
Argentina
The Argentine space agency CONAE is developing the two-stage Tronador 2 launcher . It should be able to put a 200 kg satellite into orbit and launch for the first time in 2020.
Brazil
Even Brazil , however, is trying to gain a foothold in space, so far with little success. In 1997, the first Brazilian launch vehicle VLS-1 crashed into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff . In 1999 a missile had to be destroyed shortly after it was launched, and on August 23, 2003, an explosion of the VLS-1 missile at the Alcântara base in Maranhão State claimed 21 lives. A project to launch the Ukrainian cyclone rocket in Alcântara was abandoned in 2015.
Since 2018, Brazil has been trying to win over US missile manufacturers to use the Alcântara launch site.
Taiwan
Taiwan planned to develop a launch vehicle for small satellites as early as the 2000s. At the beginning of 2018 the decision was made to further develop the Taiwanese medium-range missile Yun Feng into an orbital launcher.
States with private missile projects
In these states, private companies are developing new launch vehicles to be operated privately.
Australia
The US-built Sparta launcher was launched in Australia in the 1960s and the British Black Arrow in the 1970s . Today the Australian-Singaporean company Gilmour Space Technologies is developing two new rockets for the launch of small satellites, the Eris-100 and the Eris-400. The Australian Space Agency was founded in 2018 to promote local space activities .
Germany
In 1944, Germany was the first country to enter space with the unit 4 .
In the late 2010s, the Bavarian companies MT Aerospace and Isar Aerospace presented concepts for the development of small orbital missiles. With the Isar rocket Spectrum , a Bavarian research satellite is to be launched by 2026 as part of the Bavarian space program Bavaria One . The space company OHB is also working on a small launch vehicle at its Bavarian location in Augsburg .
Great Britain
The United Kingdom is known as the only country that successfully developed its own launch vehicle - the Black Arrow - and abandoned its space program.
Today, Scotland-based Orbex is developing a new rocket for launching small satellites. A launch site in Scotland is also being planned.
New Zealand
Rocket Lab, founded in New Zealand (now headquartered in the USA) is developing the light launch vehicle Electron , which will be launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia peninsula in New Zealand . On its first flight on May 25, 2017, the rocket reached space, but not Earth orbit. Since then, several successful satellite launches have taken place.
Singapore
In Singapore , the start-up company Equatorial Space Industries has been developing the small launch vehicle Volans since 2017 . Their first launch is planned for 2021. In addition, the rocket developer Gilmour Space Technology, now based in Australia, was founded in Singapore and still has a second location there.
Spain
In Spain , the PLD Space company is developing a small, partially reusable launcher. Another Spanish rocket project is the Bloostar from Zero 2 Infinity . Both projects are funded by ESA, but are to be operated privately.
Taiwan
Taiwan Innovative Space Inc. (TiSPACE), founded in 2016, is developing the Hapith V hybrid rocket for payloads of up to around 400 kg.
timeline
The following table shows the time of their first successful satellite launch for all current and former space nations. France and Great Britain launched their missiles abroad (in their former colonies Algeria and Australia respectively).
| date | Country | Satellites | Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th October 1957 |
 Soviet Union
|
Sputnik 1 | sputnik |
| February 1, 1958 |
 United States
|
Explorer 1 | Juno I |
| November 26, 1965 |
 France
|
Asterix | diamond |
| February 11, 1970 |
 Japan
|
Ōsumi | Lambda 4 |
| April 24, 1970 |
 People's Republic of China
|
Dong Fang Hong 1 | Long March 1 |
| October 28, 1971 |
 United Kingdom
|
Prospero | Black Arrow |
| July 18, 1980 |
 India
|
Rohini 1A | SLV |
| September 19, 1988 |
 Israel
|
Ofeq 1 | Shavit |
| February 2, 2009 |
 Iran
|
Omid | Safir |
| December 12, 2012 |
 North Korea
|
Kwangmyŏngsŏng 3-2 | Unha-3 |
| January 30, 2013 |
 South Korea
|
STSAT-2C | KSLV-1 |
| January 21, 2018 |
 New Zealand (private)
|
2 × Lemur-2 Dove Pioneer Humanity Star |
Electron |
Individual evidence
- ↑ Iran's first satellite in space. Der Standard, February 3, 2009, accessed January 11, 2013 .
- ^ NORAD and USNORTHCOM monitor North Korean launch. United States Northern Command, April 5, 2009; accessed January 6, 2011 .
- ↑ North Korean rocket brings "object" into space. Basler Zeitung, December 12, 2012, accessed on December 12, 2012 .
- ^ Gunter Dirk Krebs: Tronador-2. September 16, 2019, accessed January 25, 2020 .
- ↑ Aiuri Rebello: Brasil tenta parceria com SpaceX e Boeing para lançar foguetes no Maranhão. In: url. February 22, 2018, accessed March 22, 2019 (Spanish).
- ^ Jeff Foust: US-Brazil agreement goes beyond launch. In: Spacenews. March 25, 2019, accessed March 25, 2019 .
- ↑ 台 “太空 计划” 决定 发展 微 卫星 火箭 发射 载 具 . China Daily, Oct 21, 2013.
- ↑ Taiwan's upgraded 'Cloud Peak' missiles could reach Beijing. In: Taiwan News. January 25, 2018, accessed March 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Microlauncher: New Paths into Space. ESA, November 20, 2018, accessed March 14, 2019 .
- ^ Isar Aerospace Technologies - Spectrum. Aerospace Technologies, accessed March 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Bavaria wants to send a rocket into space. In: FAZ. January 19, 2019, accessed March 14, 2019 .
- ↑ German Space Firm Enters Rocket Business Shaken Up by Elon Musk. In: bloomberg.com. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019 .
- ^ Equatorial Space website
- ↑ Taiwan's TiSPACE Enters Crowded Small Satellite Launch Market With Large Ambitions . Spacewatch.global, December 2019.
- ↑ Hapith V on tispace.com, accessed April 21, 2020.