Top 10 Advanced Countries in Space Technology

The United States of America (USA) is the most advanced country in Space Technology with a total annual budget of 24.875 billion USD. In FY 2022, the global market size of Space Technology stood at 419.9 billion US Dollars. This market will reach a market size of 843.3 billion US Dollars by the year 2032. Below is the list of the top ten advanced countries in Space Technology.

In this article, we are going to learn about the Top 10 Advanced Countries in Space Technology.

Top 10 Advanced Countries in Space Technology

Here is the list of the Top 10 Most Advanced Countries in Space Technology in the world.

Serial No.	Country	Budget
1.	United States of America	24.875 Billion US Dollars
2.	China	11.94 Billion Dollars
3.	Russian Federation	210 Million Russian Roubles
4.	UK	5 Billion Pounds
5.	Japan	6.7 Billion US Dollars
6.	India	12,043 Crore INR
7.	Canada	2.5 Billion Dollars
8.	Germany	1.17 Billion Euros
9.	France	2698.5 Million US Dollars
10.	Luxembourg	16.5 Million Euros

Let’s learn about each of them in detail.

10. Luxembourg 

Luxembourg stands at number 10 in the top 10 advanced countries in space technology, with a vast spread fleet of communications satellites remote sensing satellites, fixing its position as a strong player in the global space exploration. As a Member country of the European Space Agency (ESA), Luxembourg actively engages in space exploration and research initiatives through its National Action Plan for Space Research and Development.

• Luxembourg is home to the headquarters of the world’s largest telecommunications satellite operators, SES (Socit Europenne des Satellites) and Intelsat. 
• The Luxembourg Space Cluster combines highly specialised companies and government research agencies to focus on space telecommunications, global navigation satellite systems and location-based services, earth observation, maritime safety and protection, and space technologies.
• Luxembourg spends about 16.5 million euros on its space activities, including both civil and military ones.

9. France

France’s space program consists of military operations and civil aerospace activities. It is the major contributor to ESA and provides about 25 per cent of its total budget. 

• France is among Europe’s leading space countries, and it is going to spend about 9 billion euros on space exploration in the coming three years.
• The ESA has its headquarters in Paris, France. 
• The space agency of France is called CNES. According to data from 2022, France spent about 2698.5 million US dollars on its space program. It was the third applicant to file patents related to space exploration.

8. Germany

Germany ranks at number 8 on the list of the top 10 most advanced countries in space technology. They began their journey of space exploration in 1969. 

• The first space launch of Germany was the AZUR Satellite in 1969. The national space program of Germany is handled by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Germany is also associated with the European space program called ESA.
• As of 2024’s ESA budget, Germany contributes 1.17 billion euros to their space exploration. 
• The space budget of Germany took about 0.045 percent of its total GDP in 2022.

7. Canada 

Canada stands at number 7 on the list of top 10 advanced countries in Space Technology. Canada launched its first satellite, Alouette 1, in 1962, marking its debut in space. 

• The operations of the Canadian space program are managed and handled by the Canadian Space Agency ( CSI ).
• The budget of the Canadian space agency has increased to 537.4 million US Dollars in the FY 2023-24. On March 28, in 2023, a funding of 2.5 billion dollars was announced for Canada’s space program. 
• Canada currently operates a fleet of SCISAT and RADARSAT satellites for earth observations, BRITE Science satellites, ANIK communications satellites, etc.

6. India 

India’s maiden satellite launch was in the year 1975, and it has launched more than 80 ever since. It is the 6th most advanced country on the list of top 10 countries in space technology. 

• The Indian Space Agency is called ISRO. India’s primary space missions include the Chandrayan, Mangalyaan, and the upcoming Gaganyan. 
• India currently operates GSAT and INSAT communication satellites series, earth observation satellites, and IRNSS navigation satellites. GSAT-7, a military satellite. The fleet also includes Hybrid satellites like Cartosat and TES.
• In the allocation of the union budget of FY 2024, the Department of Space has received Rs 12,043 crore.

5. Japan

Japan stands at number 5 in the list of top ten advanced countries in Space Technology. Japan’s first satellite, Osumi, was launched into space in the year 1970, making it the fourth country after the US, Russian Federation and France to have its satellite launch capability.

• Its national space agency, JAXA, handles Japan’s space activities. 
• JAXA operates a fleet of satellites that perform meteorological, communications, earth observation, and astronomical observations. Some of Japan’s most essential space agency space programs include KIBO-ISS, HTV5, etc.
• In the financial year 2023, Japan’s cabinet approved a 6.7 billion US dollar budget for JAXA, which is 1 Trillion Yen.

4. United Kingdom 

The United Kingdom stands at position 4 in the list of top ten advanced countries in Space Technology. United Kingdom’s first satellite was Ariel 1 launched in the year 1962. 

• The civil space operations of the United Kingdom are handled by the UKSA. It is also part of the European Space Agency ESA and one of the major contributors and stakeholders. 
• USKA currently operates various satellites, including military and civil communications satellites, scientific and space exploration aircraft and earth observation satellites. 
• The UK has announced a 10 million euro Saxa Vord spaceport fund to support its orbital launch in 2024. The 2024 space Budget of the UK’s space agency is of 5 billion pounds.

3. Russian Federation

The Russian Federation is 3rd among the top ten advanced countries in Space Technology. The Soviet Union began its space journey by launching the world’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in the year 1957.

• Russian space operations are managed by the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).
• Russia operates the third-largest fleet of space exploration satellites and spacecraft, including meteorological, communications, and reconnaissance satellites. Some of Roscosmos’s significant projects include the Soyuz, human-crewed spacecraft, the Salyut One Space Station, etc.
• The annual budget of the Russian Space Agency stood at 209.61 Russian roubles in 2023 and will be increased to 210.22 Russian roubles in 2024. 

2. China

China ranks at number 2 on the list of the top 10 advanced countries in space technology. It owns and operates the second-largest spacecraft fleet in orbit. 

• The space activities of China are managed by the Chinese National Space Administration ( CNSA ) for planning and development.
• CNSA currently operates various constellations of remote sensing satellites, navigation satellites, communications satellites, surveillance and spacecraft. China is one of the three nations with the technology to recover satellites.
• The budget of CNSA in the Financial year 2023 stood at 11.94 billion dollars. It is one of the most prominent players in Space Technology.

1. United States of America 

The United States of America is the most successful and advanced country in the world. The US single-handedly accounts for about one-third of the total space operations around the orbit. It launched its first satellite in February 1958.

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) handles the US’s space operations. 
• The US currently operates the most significant and extensive spacecraft fleet, including electronic intelligence, communications, missile detection, weather technology, navigation and surveillance satellites. 
• The budget of NASA stands at 24.875 billion US dollars. Its major space projects include the Apollo moon landing, the International Space Station, the Mars rover, the Skylab space station, the space shuttle, etc.

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FAQs on Top 10 Advanced Countries in Space Technology

Which country has the Largest space agency in the world?

The US has the world’s best space program in the world, i.e. NASA.

What are the top 5 countries in Space Technology?

The top 5 countries in space technology include the US, China, the Russian Federation, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

How big is the Space Exploration Market Globally?

The global space Technology market is of size 843.8 Billion US Dollars.

How much does America spend on its Space Agency?

America spends about 24.8 billion US dollars on its space program.

Are France, Luxembourg and Germany all the members of the European Space Agency?

All these countries are members of the European Space Agency and ESA.

Which country has launched the first-ever artificial satellite in orbit? 

The Russian Federation was the first nation to launch an artificial satellite in space.