NASA, ESA, Roscosmos, JAXA and CNSA Space Missions
Science & Technology › Space Technology and ISRO · Topic 12.9
The main space agencies of the world are the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, of the United States, the European Space Agency, ESA, the Roscosmos State Corporation of Russia, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, and the China National Space Administration, CNSA. Each runs missions to the Moon, Mars, asteroids, the Sun and deep space, and they also cooperate, as in the International Space Station. NASA is known for the Apollo, Voyager, Hubble, James Webb and Perseverance missions, ESA for Rosetta, Gaia and Euclid, Roscosmos for Sputnik, Vostok and the Soyuz rockets, JAXA for Hayabusa2 and the SLIM Moon lander, and CNSA for Chang'e lunar missions, the Tiangong space station and Tianwen-1.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · Space Technology and ISRO
At a Glance
- NASA United States, 1958
- ESA Europe, 1975
- Roscosmos Russia
- JAXA Japan
- CNSA China, 1993
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: Space Technology and ISRO
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the Indian missions. It places India’s efforts beside the programmes of the other major space agencies, which are often asked in current affairs and mission matching questions. Previous topic: Solar Mission Aditya-L1. Next topic: Private Sector Participation and Public-Private Collaboration in Space.
Which Agency Is Known for Which Missions?
| Agency | Important missions |
|---|---|
| NASA (United States) | Apollo Moon landings 1969 to 1972; Voyager 1 and 2 launched 1977; Hubble 1990; Mars rovers including Perseverance, landed February 2021; James Webb Space Telescope launched December 2021; Artemis programme to return to the Moon; Parker Solar Probe; Juno at Jupiter; DART asteroid test 2022 |
| ESA (Europe) | Rosetta comet mission and Philae lander 2014; Gaia mapping stars; JUICE to Jupiter’s icy moons launched April 2023; Euclid for dark matter and energy launched July 2023; Hera for asteroid follow up; Ariane rockets from Kourou |
| Roscosmos (Russia) | Sputnik 1 in 1957; Yuri Gagarin in 1961; Mir; Russian segment of the International Space Station; Soyuz rockets and spacecraft; Luna-25 crashed in August 2023 |
| JAXA (Japan) | Hayabusa2 returned samples from asteroid Ryugu in December 2020; SLIM landed on the Moon in January 2024 with precision; Kibo module on ISS; the Martian Moons eXploration mission |
| CNSA (China) | Chang’e 4 landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019; Chang’e 5 returned lunar samples in 2020; Chang’e 6 returned samples from the far side in 2024; Tiangong space station; Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter and Zhurong rover in 2021 |
| ISRO (India) | Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, Astrosat and the Gaganyaan programme, as in Chandrayaan Missions (Chandrayaan-I, II, III) and the Mars Orbiter Mission |
| Others | Canadian Space Agency, UAE Space Agency whose Hope probe reached Mars in 2021 |
What Are the Current Themes and Cooperation?
- Artemis programme: NASA’s plan to return humans to the Moon, with Artemis I uncrewed in November 2022 and later crewed flights. Check the latest schedule
- Artemis Accords: principles for civil lunar exploration signed by many countries, including India in 2023
- International Lunar Research Station: a Chinese and Russian led plan for a Moon base
- International Space Station: a joint station of NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency, in low Earth orbit since 1998, planned for retirement around 2030
- Tiangong: China’s own space station, completed in 2022
- Mars exploration: rovers and orbiters from the United States, China, the UAE and Europe, and plans for sample return
- Commercial role: SpaceX carries NASA crews to the Station
- India in cooperation: NISAR with NASA, Axiom-4 mission with an Indian astronaut in 2025, and Chandrayaan joint work with Japan
What Else Should You Remember?
- Apollo 11: landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon on 20 July 1969
- Voyager: Voyager 1 is the most distant human-made object, in interstellar space since 2012
- Hubble and Webb: NASA and ESA telescopes, as in Space Observatories and Telescopes (Hubble, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Thirty Metre Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope)
- Chang’e naming: China names its lunar missions after the Moon goddess Chang’e
- Tianwen-1: made China the second country to land a rover on Mars after the United States
- SLIM: the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon made Japan the fifth country to soft land on the Moon
- Luna-25: Russia’s first Moon lander in decades crashed in August 2023, days before India’s landing
- Space Launch System: NASA’s heavy rocket for Artemis
- ESA members: ESA is an intergovernmental body of European states with its launch site at Kourou in French Guiana
- Space race: competition between the United States and the Soviet Union began with Sputnik in 1957 and led to Apollo
- Asteroid sample return: OSIRIS-REx of NASA and Hayabusa2 of JAXA brought samples from asteroids Bennu and Ryugu, as in Cassini Mission to Saturn and OSIRIS-REx Mission to Asteroid Bennu
- Spaceflight law: the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 bans weapons of mass destruction in orbit and claims of sovereignty over celestial bodies
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Matching: agency with mission
- Firsts: Gagarin, Apollo 11, Chang’e 4 far side landing
- Cooperation: ISS and Artemis Accords
- Current affairs link: Artemis schedule and Chinese lunar plans
- Common errors: crediting Hayabusa2 to ESA or Zhurong to Japan
As an analytical point, cooperation and competition now go together. India’s agreements with NASA and its role in the Artemis Accords place it among spacefaring partners while it builds its own capabilities.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Matching Agency and mission
- Cooperation ISS, Artemis
- India link NISAR, Axiom
What Came Next?
The next topic covers private sector participation in space. Next topic: Private Sector Participation and Public-Private Collaboration in Space.
Key People and Terms
- NASA US space agency
- ESA European Space Agency
- Roscosmos Russian agency
- JAXA Japanese agency
- CNSA Chinese agency
- Artemis US Moon programme
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Apollo 11: 20 July 1969.
- Hayabusa2 sample return: December 2020.
- Chang’e 4: far side landing, 2019.
- Perseverance landed: February 2021.
- India signed Artemis Accords: 2023.
Do Not Confuse With
- Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx Japanese Ryugu mission versus NASA Bennu mission
- Tiangong and ISS Chinese station versus international station
- SLIM and Chandrayaan-3 Japanese precision lander versus Indian south pole lander
Memory Hook
NASA Apollo and Webb, ESA Euclid and Gaia, JAXA Ryugu, China’s far side, Russia’s Soyuz.
Mains Angle
Questions ask to match missions and agencies. These points help.
- Trends Moon return
- Cooperation ISS and Accords
- India Partner and competitor
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Compare the major space agencies of the world and discuss India’s position in the emerging international space cooperation.”
How to Answer
- Agencies Missions.
- Trends Moon and Mars.
- Cooperation ISS, Accords.
- India Partner role.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the main space agencies of the world?
The main space agencies are NASA of the United States, the European Space Agency, Roscosmos of Russia, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the China National Space Administration and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Each runs satellite, exploration and human spaceflight programmes, and many cooperate on projects such as the International Space Station.
What is the Artemis programme?
Artemis is a NASA-led programme to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustained presence, including at the lunar south pole. Artemis I tested the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft without crew in November 2022, and later missions are planned with crew. India signed the Artemis Accords in 2023.
What did Chang'e 4 achieve?
Chang'e 4 of China's space agency made the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, inside the Von Karman crater, with the rover Yutu-2. Because the far side cannot be seen from Earth, China used a relay satellite called Queqiao to communicate with the lander.
What is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station is a large laboratory in low Earth orbit at about 400 kilometres height, built jointly by NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency, and occupied continuously since November 2000. It carries out research in microgravity and is planned to be retired around 2030.
What is the Outer Space Treaty?
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 is the basic international law of space. It says that outer space is free for exploration and use by all countries, that no country may claim sovereignty over the Moon or other bodies, and that weapons of mass destruction may not be placed in orbit. India is a party to the treaty.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Hayabusa2 returned samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
A JAXA mission.
2 The International Space Station is operated only by NASA.
It is a joint project.
3 Chang'e 4 landed on the far side of the Moon.
In January 2019.
4 India has not signed the Artemis Accords.
It signed them in 2023.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Space Technology and ISRO. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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