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Asian space agencies and programs
Asian space powers
Other Asian nations
Other nations and regions
Timeline of national firsts
Comparison of key technologies
Launch vehicle technology
Human spaceflight and rendezvous space docking and berthing capabilities
Lunar exploration
Interplanetary exploration missions
Asian orbital launch systems
Orbital launch systems from Asian national space agencies
Orbital Launch Frequency
Solar System exploration
Moon race
Exploration of the major planets
Comparison of Asian national space programs
Space capabilities of Asian nations
Several Asian national space programs are engaged in a race to achieve the scientific and technological advancements necessary for regular spaceflight, as well as to reap the strategic and economic benefits of space capability. This is sometimes referred to as the "Asian space race" in popular media,[1] an allusion to the Cold-War-era Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
As in the previous Space Race, between the United States and the USSR, the motivations for the current push into space include national security, national pride, and commercial gain. As a result, several Asian countries have sent both unmanned satellites and humans into geocentric orbit and beyond.[2]
Although many Asian nations have taken steps toward a significant presence in space, three countries are forerunners: China, India, and Japan.[3]
Human Lunar Exploration (includes Space station capability, etc.)
Space station (includes Human spaceflight capability, etc.)
Human spaceflight (includes Extraterrestrial Probes capability, etc.)
Extraterrestrial Probes (includes Launch Capability, etc.)
Launch Capability (includes Satellites capability)
Uses capabilities of other nations
Official Name
Operates Satellites
Sounding Rockets capable
Recoverable Biological Sounding Rockets capable
Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization SPARRSO 1980 — No Yes No No [4]
People's Republic of China China National Space Administration
(Chinese: 国家航天局) CNSA 22 April 1993 — Yes Yes Yes Yes [5]
India Indian Space Research Organisation
(Hindi: भारतीय अंतरिक्ष अनुसंधान संगठन) ISRO
इसरो 15 August 1969 — Yes Yes Yes Yes [6][7][8]
Indonesia Indonesian: Lembaga Antariksa dan Penerbangan Nasional
(National Institute of Aeronautics and Space) LAPAN 27 November 1964 — Yes Yes Yes No [citation needed]
Iran Iranian Space Agency
(Persian: سازمان فضایی ایران) ISA 2003 — Yes Yes Yes Yes [9][10][11]
Israel Israeli Space Agency
(Hebrew: סוכנות החלל הישראלית)
סל"ה April 1983 — Yes Yes Yes No [citation needed]
Japan Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
(Japanese: 宇宙航空研究開発機構) JAXA 1 October 2003 — Yes Yes Yes Yes [12][13]
Malaysia Malaysian National Space Agency
(Malay: Agensi Angkasa Negara) ANGKASA 2002 — Yes Yes No No [14]
North Korea Korean Committee of Space Technology
(Korean: 조선우주공간기술위원회) KCST 1980s 2013 No Yes Yes No [15][16][17]
Pakistan Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
(Urdu: پاکستان خلائی و بالا فضائی تحقی‍قاتی کمیشن) SUPARCO
سپارکو 16 September 1961 — No No No No [citation needed]
Philippines Philippine Space Agency PhilSA 8 August 2019 — No Yes No No [18]
South Korea Korea Aerospace Research Institute
(Korean: 한국항공우주연구원) KARI 10 October 1989 — Yes Yes Yes No [citation needed]
Republic of China National Space Organization
(Chinese: 國家太空中心) NSPO 3 October 1991 — No Yes Yes No [19]
Thailand Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency
(Thai: สำนักงานพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีอวกาศและภูมิสารสนเทศ) GISTDA
สทอภ 3 November 2002 — No Yes No No [20]
The countries that have independently and successfully launched satellites into orbit include Japan (1970), China (1970), India (1980), Israel (1988), Iran (2009), and North Korea (2012). Of these six Asian agencies, three countries—China, India, and Japan—possess the ability to launch heavy payloads into geosynchronous orbits, launch multiple and recoverable satellites, deploy cryogenic engines, and operate extraterrestrial exploratory missions.[citation needed]
China's first crewed spacecraft entered orbit in October 2003, making China the first Asian nation to send a human into space.[21] India expects to send its own vyomanauts into space in the Gaganyaan capsule by 2022.[22] India is the first Asian country to successfully launch a Mars orbiter mission and the first country in the world to do it on the first attempt.[citation needed]
The achievements of these space programs do not yet rival those of the former Soviet Union and the United States, although some experts believe Asia may soon lead the world in space exploration.[23]
Although Japan was the first program on Earth to launch a mission that returned samples from an asteroid,[citation needed] the existence of a space race in Asia is still debated, due to the lack of true spaceflight milestones. Although China denies that there is an Asian space race, there was competition between China and India in their attempts to be the first to launch a probe to Earth's moon within the first decade of the 21st century.[24] In January 2007, China became the first Asian space power to send an anti-satellite missile into orbit, destroying an aging Chinese Feng Yun 1C weather satellite in polar orbit. The resulting explosion sent a wave of debris hurtling through space at more than 6 miles per second.[25][26] In 2019, India, in operation Mission Shakti, did the same, shooting down its own Microsat-R satellite.[27] China and India tested their anti-satellite weapons in 2007 and 2019 respectively, making them the only countries other than the US and the USSR/Russia, to possess ASAT weapons.[citation needed]
A month later, Japan's space agency launched an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super-high-speed data transmission in remote areas.[25]
After the successful attainment of geostationary technology, India's ISRO launched its first moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, in October 2008, when it discovered ice water on the Moon.[28] On November 5, 2013, India then launched its maiden interplanetary mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission, to determine the composition of Mars's atmosphere and to detect methane. The spacecraft completed its journey on September 24, 2014, when it entered its intended orbit around Mars. ISRO became the fourth space agency in the world to send a spacecraft to Mars, following NASA, Roscosmos, and the ESA.[citation needed]
In addition to enhancing national prestige, countries are economically motivated to operate in space, frequently launching commercial satellites to enable communications, weather forecasting, and atmospheric research. According to a 2006 report by the Space Frontier Foundation, the "space economy" is estimated to be worth about $180 billion, with more than 60% of space-related economic activity coming from commercial goods and services.[2]
Both China and India have proposed the initiation of commercial launch services.[citation needed]
Several rockets of the Long March family
China has a space program with an independent human spaceflight capability, having successfully developed a sizable family of Long March rockets. It has launched two lunar orbiters: Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2. On 2 December 2013, China launched a modified Long March 3B rocket to the moon, carrying a Chang'e 3 Moon lander and its rover Yutu, which successfully performed a soft landing and rover operations. With the success of the mission, China became the third country to do so; it planned to retrieve further samples in 2017.[29] In 2011, China embarked on a program to establish a crewed space station, starting with the launch of Tiangong 1 and followed by Tiangong 2 in 2016. In 2011, in a joint mission with Russia, China launched a Mars orbiter, Yinghuo-1, which failed to leave Earth orbit. Nevertheless, the 2020 Chinese Mars Mission—with an orbiter, a lander, and a rover—has been approved by the Chinese government. Launched in July 2020, the mission is on a course to Mars.[30] China has collaborative projects with Russia, the ESA, and Brazil, launching commercial satellites for other countries. Some analysts suggest that the Chinese space program is linked to the nation's efforts at developing advanced military technology.[31]
China's advanced technology is the result of the integration of various related technological experiences. Early Chinese satellites such as the FSW series have undergone many atmospheric reentry tests. In the 1990s, China was conducting commercial launches, resulting in more launch experiences and a high success rate following the decade. China has aimed to undertake scientific development in fields including Solar System exploration, with China's Shenzhou 7 spacecraft successfully performing an EVA in September 2008. China's Shenzhou 9 spacecraft successfully completed a crewed docking in June 2012. Furthermore, China's Chang'e 2 explorer became the first object to reach the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point, in August 2011, as well as becoming the first probe to explore both the Moon and asteroids by making a flyby of the asteroid 4179 Toutatis. China has launched DAMPE, the most capable dark matter explorer to date, in 2015, in addition to the world's first quantum communication satellite, QUESS, in 2016.[citation needed]
GSLV Mk III D2 on launch pad carrying GSAT-29
India's interest in space travel began in the early 1960s, when scientists launched a Nike-Apache rocket from TERLS, Kerala.[32][33] Under Vikram Sarabhai, the program focused on the practical uses of space in increasing the standard of living by sending remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit.[34]
The first Indian to travel in space was Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard Soyuz T-11, launched 2 April 1984 from the USSR.[35]
Just several days after the aforementioned mission, China said that it would send a human into orbit in the second half of 2003; Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee publicly urged his country's scientists to work towards sending a man to the Moon.[36] India successfully sent its first probe to the Moon, known as Chandrayaan-1, in October 2008, which helped to find the presence of water in the Moon.[37] The nation also launched its second Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, to the south pole of the Moon.[38][39]
ISRO launched its Mars Orbiter Mission (informally called "Mangalyaan") on November 5, 2013, successfully entering orbit around Mars on September 24, 2014. India is the first country in Asia, and the fourth in the world, to perform a successful Mars mission. It is also the only one to do so on the first attempt, at a record low cost of $74 million.[40]
ISRO has demonstrated its re-entry technology and, as of 2020, has launched as many as 175 foreign satellites belonging to global customers from 20 countries, including the US, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and the U.K.[citation needed] All of these have been launched successfully by PSLVs so far, meaning that the country's scientists have gained significant expertise in space technologies. In June 2016, India set a record by launching 20 satellites simultaneously.[41] The PSLVs possess a success rate of more than 90%, having had their 35th successful mission in a row, out of 39 total missions, as of February 2017.[citation needed]
India broke the world record by successfully placing 104 satellites in Earth's orbit from a single rocket launch (PSLV-C37) on February 15, 2017, which almost tripled the previous record of 37, which had been held by Russia.[42][43]
Recent reports indicate that human spaceflight is planned for December 2021, with a spacecraft called Gaganyaan, which will embark upon a domestically developed GSLV-III rocket.[44] The ISRO is also planning to send orbiters to Venus and Mars in the near future. India has successfully tested an anti-satellite missile, making it the fourth country to do so.[citation needed]
The H-IIA F11 launch vehicle lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan
Japan has been cooperating with the United States on missile defense since 1999.[citation needed] North Korean nuclear and Chinese military programs represent a serious issue for Japan's foreign relations.[45] Japan is working on military and civilian space technologies, developing missile defense systems and new generations of military spy satellites, as well as planning for the implementation of crewed stations on the Moon.[46] Japan started to construct spy satellites after North Korea test-fired a Taepodong missile over Japan in 1998.[citation needed] The North Korean government claimed the missile was merely launching a satellite into space, accusing Japan of causing an arms race.[47] The Japanese constitution, adopted after World War II, limits military activities to defensive operations;[citation needed] although in May 2007, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a bold review of the Japanese Constitution to allow the country to take a larger role in global security and foster a revival of national pride.[48] Japan has not yet developed its own crewed spacecraft and does not have a program in place to develop one. The Japanese did develop a space shuttle, HOPE-X, to be launched by the conventional space launcher H-II, but the program was postponed and eventually cancelled. Then, the simpler crewed capsule Fuji was proposed but not adopted. Pioneer projects—including the single-stage to orbit, reusable launch vehicle, horizontal-takeoff-and-landing ASSTS and the vertical takeoff and landing Kankoh-maru—were developed but have also not been adopted. A new, more conservative JAXA crewed spacecraft project is supposed to be launched by 2025 as part of Japan's plan to send human missions to the Moon. Shinya Matsuura is doubtful about the Japanese human Moon project, suspecting the project is a euphemism for participation in the American Constellation program.[49] JAXA planned to send a humanoid robot, such as ASIMO, to the Moon within the next decade, in the hopes of using both automated and remote-controlled machines to build their planned moon base.[49][50]
Iranian Simorgh (rocket) SLV
Iran has developed its own satellite launch vehicle, named the Safir SLV, based on the Shahab series of IRBMs. On 2 February 2009, Iranian state television reported that Iran's first domestically manufactured satellite, Omid (from the Persian امید, meaning "hope") had been successfully launched into low Earth orbit by a version of Iran's Safir rocket, the Safir-2.[51] The launch coincided with the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Iran is also developing a new rocket, named Simorgh.[citation needed]
Shavit, the Israeli orbital launch system
On 19 September 1988, Israel became the eighth country in the world to build its own satellite and launcher. Israel launched its first satellite, Ofeq-1, using an Israeli-built Shavit three-stage launch vehicle.[52] The launch was the high point of a process that began in 1983 with the establishment of the Israel Space Agency under the aegis of the Ministry of Science. Space research by university-based scientists had begun in the 1960s, providing a ready-made pool of experts for Israel's foray into space. Since then, local universities, research institutes, and private industry, backed by the Israel Space Agency, have made progress in space technology. The agency's role is to support "private and academic space projects, coordinate their efforts, initiate and develop international relations and projects, head integrative projects involving different bodies, and create public awareness for the importance of space development."[53]
North Korea has many years of experience with rocket technology, which it has passed along to Pakistan and other countries.[citation needed] On 12 December 2012, North Korea placed its first satellite in orbit with the launch of Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2. On 12 March 2009, North Korea signed the Outer Space Treaty and the Registration Convention,[54] after a previous declaration of making preparations for the launch of Kwangmyongsong-2. North Korea twice announced satellite launches: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 on 31 August 1998 and Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 on 5 April 2009. Neither of these claims were confirmed by the rest of the world, but the United States and South Korea believe they were tests of military ballistic missiles.[citation needed] The North Korean space agency is the Korean Committee of Space Technology, which operates the Musudan-ri and Tongch'ang-dong Space Launch Center rocket launching sites, and has developed the Baekdusan-1 and Unha (Baekdusan-2) space launchers and Kwangmyŏngsŏng satellites. In 2009 North Korea announced several future space projects, including human space flights and the development of a crewed, partially reusable launch vehicle.[55] The successor to the Korean Committee of Space Technology, National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), successfully launched an Unha-3 launch vehicle in February 2016, placing the Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4 satellite in orbit.[citation needed]
LAPAN is responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research for Indonesia, which in July 1976 became the first developing country to operate its own domestic satellite system.[56] In October 1985, Indonesian scientist, Pratiwi Sudarmono was selected to take part in the NASA Space Shuttle mission STS-61-H as a Payload Specialist. Taufik Akbar was her backup on the mission.[citation needed] However, after the Challenger disaster the deployment of commercial satellites—such as the Indonesian Palapa B-3, planned for the STS-61-H mission—was canceled; and so the mission never took place.[citation needed] The satellite was later launched with a Delta rocket.[57] For over two decades, Indonesia has managed satellites and domain-developed small scientific-technology satellites LAPAN and telecommunication satellites Palapa, which were built by Hughes (now Boeing Satellite Systems) and launched from the US on Delta rockets or from French Guiana using Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 rockets.[citation needed] It has also developed sounding rockets and has been trying to develop small orbital space launchers.[citation needed] The LAPAN A1 in 2007 and LAPAN A2 satellites were launched by India in 2015.[58] Indonesia has undertaken programs to develop and use their own small space launch vehicle Pengorbitan (RPS-420).[59][60]
South Korea is a more recent player in the Asian space race.[61] In August 2006 South Korea launched its first military communications satellite, the Mugunghwa-5.[citation needed] The satellite was placed in geosynchronous orbit and collects surveillance information about North Korea.[62] The South Korean government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on space technology and was due to launch its first space launcher, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle, in 2008.[63][needs update] South Korea's government justifies the cost by pointing to the long-term commercial benefits, as well as enhanced national pride. South Korea has long seen North Korea's significantly longer missile range as a serious threat to its national security. With the nation's first astronaut launched into space, Lee So-yeon, South Korea gained confidence in entering the Asian space race. They have completed the construction of Naro Space Center. South Korea is now attempting to build satellites and rockets with local technology.[64] South Korea is pursuing a space program that could defend the peninsula while lessening their dependency on the United States.[citation needed]
Turkey's first Göktürk satellite was launched on December 18, 2012. The satellite is capable of taking images which have a resolution of over two meters per pixel, thus making Turkey the second nation in the world capable of such a feat, after the United States.[citation needed] Turkey is also developing an orbital launch system known as UFS.[65]
Other minor space-faring countries are Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. On 7 June 1962, with the launch of the Rehbar-I rocket, Pakistan became the tenth country in the world to successfully launch an unmanned spacecraft.[citation needed] SUPARCO has launched several sounding rockets. Pakistan's first satellite, Badr-I, was launched from China in 1990. Badr-B was launched in 2001 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, using a Ukrainian Zenit-2 rocket. In 2011, Paksat-1R—which was contracted for, built, and launched by China—became Pakistan's first communication satellite.[66] Under its Space programme 2040, Pakistan aims to operate five geostationary and six low-earth-orbit satellites. Development of a satellite launch vehicle is not planned.[citation needed]
In 2018, with the launch of the Bangabandhu-1 satellite, which was purchased abroad, Bangladesh began operating its first communication satellite. The Bangladesh Space Agency intends to launch satellites after 2020. Bangladesh's government has stressed that the country seeks an "entirely peaceful and commercial" role in space.[67]
– Indigenous crewed missions – Human missions – Lunar or Interplanetary missions – Other missions
Asian First
Japan Ohsumi Satellite The smallest satellite launch vehicle (L-4S; 9.4t weight, 0.74m diameter) until SS-520
Japan Taiyo Solar probe
China FSW-0 Satellite recovery[68]
China FSW-0:
– 10m (1975)
FSW-1B:
– 4m (1992)[69]
Beidou:
– 0.5m (till 2007)[70] High resolution imaging satellite
Indonesia Palapa A1 Geosynchronous satellite (launched by NASA)
Japan N-I Geosynchronous launch
Japan Hakucho Space observatory
Vietnam Phạm Tuân Asian in space (Soyuz 37)
China FB-1 Simultaneous satellite launch[71]
Japan Sakigake Leaving Earth orbit, comet fly-by The first interplanetary launch by solid rocket (M-3SII)
Japan Hiten Lunar fly-by First lunar probe from a country other than the USSR or US
Japan Hagoromo Reach lunar orbit (assumed)
China CZ-3 Commercial launch (AsiaSat 1)
Japan Toyohiro Akiyama Private space traveler (Soyuz TM-11) First commercial sponsor (Tokyo Broadcasting System) for a human spaceflight
Japan Mamoru Mohri First astronaut trained by an Asian space program (STS-47)
Japan Hiten Intentional lunar impact The first aerobraking test[72]
Japan Chiaki Mukai Asian woman in space (STS-65)
Japan HYFLEX Lifting body spaceplane demonstrator
Japan Takao Doi Spacework (STS-87)
Japan ETS-VII Rendezvous docking
Japan Nozomi Martian mission (Failure)
China Beidou Satellite navigation system
Japan Kodama[73] Data relay satellite (with ESA)
China Yang Liwei First man in space launched by an Asian space program
China Shenzhou 5 Crewed spacecraft
Japan Hayabusa Soft-landed probe on extraterrestrial object. First sample return mission by an Asian country. The first asteroid ascent, sample return from an asteroid
China FY-1C ASAT test Highest in history with altitude 865 km, also the fastest with speed 18k miles
Japan WINDS Internet satellite The fastest internet satellite[74]
Japan Japanese Experiment Module Crewed space station module (STS-123, STS-124, STS-127) The world's largest pressurized volume in space[75]
China Tianlian I Indigenous Tracking & Data Relay Satellite System
First TDRS system to support crewed missions
China Zhai Zhigang (Shenzhou 7) Indigenous EVA
China BanXing Crewed spacecraft-launched satellite
Japan GOSAT Greenhouse gas explorer[76]
Japan HTV-1 Dedicated cargo spacecraft
Japan Akatsuki First Asian Venus mission
Japan IKAROS Solar sail The first spacecraft to successfully demonstrate solar-sail technology in interplanetary space
China Chang'e 2 Lunar probe with extended deep space missions (asteroid mission to 4179 Toutatis).
China Tiangong-1 First independent Asian space station
China Shenzhou 9 First crewed space docking by an Asian country (with Tiangong-1)
China Chang'e 3/Yutu First lunar soft landing and lunar rover by an Asian country First lunar soft landing in 21st century
India Mars Orbiter Mission First successful Mars mission by an Asian country First Martian mission by a country to succeed on the first attempt. Third individual country to do so after the USSR and the USA.
Japan Mio First Asian Mercury mission (with ESA), planned orbital insertion in December 2025
China Chang'e 4 First soft landing on the far side of the Moon First soft landing on the far side of the Moon by any country. Landed with Yutu-2 rover.
China Tianwen-1 First Asian Mars lander and rover, planned arrival in February 2021
China Chang'e 5 First lunar ascent, lunar rendezvous and docking and lunar sample return by an Asian country First automated lunar rendezvous and docking by any country. Lunar sample-return mission.
First Asian country to collaborate on the International Space Station – Japan
First Asian country to launch over 100 satellites from a single rocket – India[77][78]
Timeline of the heaviest satellite launch vehicle in Asia
First success
GTO / GEO
L-4S (26 kg) First launch was 1966 (failed 4 times).
CZ-1 (0.3 t) First launch failed in 1969.
FB-1 (2.5 t) Suborbital flight was performed in 1972.
CZ-2A (LEO 2t) failed in 1974.
H-I (LEO 3.2 t / GTO 1.1 t) First stage was a license-built Delta rocket.
CZ-2E (LEO 9.2 t / GTO 3.5 t)
H-II (LEO 10.1 t / GTO 3.9 t)
CZ-3B (LEO 12 t / GTO 5.2 t)
H-IIA204 (LEO 15 t / GTO 5.8 t)
H-IIB (LEO 19 t / GTO 8 t)
H-IIB (LEO 19 t) CZ-5 (GTO 14 t)[79]
CZ-5 (LEO 25 t / GTO 14 t)
Records of each country are listed by chronological order unless otherwise noted.
First successful independent launches (rocket/satellite)
Japan 1970 Lambda-4S/Ohsumi
China 1970 Long March 1/Dong Fang Hong I
India 1980 SLV/Rohini D1
Israel 1988 Shavit/Ofeq 1
Iran 2009 Safir-1/Omid
North Korea 2012 Unha-3/Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2
Specific impulse (Vac.)
Thrust (Vac.)
India S200 booster rocket stage[80] 130s 274.5s 5,150 kN (1,160,000 lbf)
Japan SRB-A series solid fueled rocket boosters 100s 280s 2,260 kN (510,000 lbf)
Israel Shavit's first stage 82s 280s 1,650 kN (370,000 lbf)
China Kuaizhou series of launch vehicles
China Long March 11 launch system
Cryogenic and semi-cryogenic rocket engines
Japan LE-5 cryogenic engine LE-5 — 102.9 kN (23,100 lbf)
LE-5A — 121.5 kN (27,300 lbf)
LE-5B — 144.9 kN (32,600 lbf) Upper stage 5 — Gas generator
5A and 5B — Expander 1986 — present In service
LE-7 cryogenic engine LE-7 — 1,078 kN (242,000 lbf)
LE-7A — 1,074 kN (241,000 lbf) Booster Staged combustion 1994 — present In service
China YF-73 cryogenic engine 44.15 kN (9,930 lbf) Upper stage Gas generator 1987–2000 Retired
YF-75 cryogenic engine 78.45 kN (17,640 lbf) Upper stage Gas generator 1994 — present In service
YF-75D cryogenic engine 88.26 kN (19,840 lbf) Upper stage Expander 2016 — present In service
YF-77 cryogenic engine 700 kN (160,000 lbf) Booster Gas generator 2016 — present In service
India CE-7.5 cryogenic engine 73.5 kN (16,500 lbf) Upper stage Staged combustion 2014 — present In service
CE-20 cryogenic engine 200 kN (45,000 lbf) Upper stage Gas-generator 2017 — present In service
SCE-200 semi-cryogenic engine 2,030 kN (460,000 lbf) Booster Staged combustion After 2022 Under development
Capability of Launch Vehicle (in active)
Highest payload capacity
Launch Vehicle
China CZ-5 25,000 kg (55,000 lb) 2016 CZ-5 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) 2016
Japan H-IIB 16,500 kg (36,400 lb) 2009 H-IIB 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) 2009
India GSLV MkIII 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) 2017 GSLV MkIII 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) 2017
Israel Shavit 800 kg (1,800 lb) 1988 Not any yet
North Korea Unha-3 200 kg (440 lb) 2009 Not any yet
Iran Safir-1B 50 kg (110 lb) 2008 Not any yet
Biggest multi-satellite simultaneous launches (by number)
Number of satellites
India 104 2017 PSLV-XL C37
China 20 2015 Long March 6 1
Japan 8 2009 H-IIA F15
First flight of space shuttles
Including shuttle-shaped hyper-sonic reentry vehicles reach to space.
First flight mission
Japan HOPE-X HYFLEX 1996 Cancelled
China Various Shenlong 2007 Ongoing
India RLV–TD Hypersonic Flight Experiment 2016 Under development
Payloads in orbit by number
First five as of 1 February 2020[81]
China 352 407 84 491
Japan 90 183 65 248
India 64 101 12 113
Israel 17 20 6 26
South Korea 15 22 5 27
Optical satellite imagery (by highest available resolution)
India 0.25 meter Cartosat-3 2019
Japan 0.4 meter IGS Optical 5V 2013
Israel 0.5 meter Ofeq 9 2010
China 0.5 meter Gaofen 9 2015
South Korea 0.7 meter KOMPSAT-3 2012
Iran 150 meters Rasad 1 2011
Radar satellite imagery (by resolution)
India 0.35 meter RISAT-2BR1 2019
0.5 meter x 0.3 meter RISAT-2B 2019
Japan 0.5 meter IGS R-5 2017
Israel 0.5 TecSAR 2008
China 0.5 meter Yaogan 29 2015
South Korea 1 meter KOMPSat-5 2013
Communications satellite technology
China NIGCOMSAT 1R 28 5,150 kg (11,350 lb) 10.5 kW 2011
Japan ST-2 51 5,090 kg (11,220 lb) 2011
India GSAT-16 48 3,100 kg (6,800 lb) 5.6 kW 2014
GSAT-11 40 5,854 kg (12,906 lb) 13.6 kW 2018
Solar Sail spacecraft
Japan IKAROS Extraterrestrial exploration 2010
Spacecraft powered by indigenous plasma thrusters
Spacecraft (engine)
Specific impulse
Japan ETS-IV (Unnamed teflon pulsed plasma thruster) 20 W 300s 1981
Space Flyer Unit (EPEX, magnetoplasmadynamic thruster) 430 W 12.9 mN 600s 1995
China Dongfeng 5 ballistic rocket (MDT-2A, teflon pulsed plasma thruster) 5 W 280s 1981
Spacecraft powered by indigenous ion thrusters
Japan Hayabusa (μ-10, microwave ion thrusters) 350 W 8 mN 3200s 2003
China Shijian 9A (LIPS-200, ring-cusp magnetic field ion thruster) 1 kW 40 mN 3000s 2012
India GSAT-20 (Full) 2020 (Planned)
Spacecraft powered by indigenous Hall thrusters
South Korea DubaiSat-2 0.3 kW 7 mN 1000s 2013
China Shijian 17 (HEP-100MF, magnetic focusing hall thruster) 1.4 kW 1850s 2016
Shijian 17 (LHT-100) 1.35 kW 80 mN 1600s
First indigenous human spaceflights
First successful human spaceflight
China Project 714 1968–72 N/A Shuguang-1 Cancelled
Project 873 1978–80 N/A Piloted FSW satellite Cancelled
Project 921/Shenzhou 1992–present 2003 Shenzhou 5 Ongoing
India Indian Human Spaceflight Programme 2007–present 2021 (Planned)
Before August 2022 (Scheduled) Gaganyaan Ongoing
Independent human spaceflights
Total persons
Total flights
China[82] 11 11
First independent extravehicular activity
Spacecraft involved
China Shenzhou 7 2008
First independent Space rendezvous
Uncrewed rendezvous
crewed rendezvous
Japan ETS-VII 1997
China Shenzhou 8 & Tiangong 1 2011 Shenzhou 9 & Tiangong 1 2012
India SPADEX 2020 (Planned)
First space habitation module
Japan Kibo 2008
China Tiangong 1 2011
India[83][84][85][86] Indian Space Station ~2030 (Proposed)
First Space laboratory
India Indian Space Station ~2030(Proposed)
Resupply spacecraft
Launch payload
Japan HTV 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) 2009
China Tianzhou 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) 2017
First orbiters to the Moon
1 Japan Hiten/Hagoromo 1990
2 China Chang'e 1 2007
3 India Chandrayaan-1 2008
TBD South Korea Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter 2020 (Planned)
First intentional Moon landings
Landing type
1 Japan Hiten 1993 Controlled impact
2 India Moon Impact Probe 2008 Controlled impact
3 China Chang'e 1 2009 Controlled impact
First Lunar soft landings/Lunar rovers
1 China Chang'e 3/Yutu 2013
TBD Israel Beresheet 2019 (Failed)
TBD India Chandrayaan-2/Pragyan 2019 (Failed)
Chandrayaan-3 2021 (Planned)
TBD India
Japan Lunar Polar Exploration Mission 2024 (Planned)
First probes to Mercury
TBD Japan Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter 2018 (en route) Orbiter
First probes to Venus
1 Japan Akatsuki 2015 Orbiter
TBD India Shukrayaan-1 2024 or 2026 (Planned) Orbiter with aerobots
First orbiters to Mars
1 India Mars Orbiter Mission 2013[87]
TBD Japan Nozomi 1998 (Failed)
TBD China Yinghuo-1 2011 (Failed)[88]
Tianwen-1 2020 (en route)
TBD United Arab Emirates Hope Mars Mission 2020 (en route)
First intentional Mars landing
TBD China Mars Global Remote Sensing Orbiter and Small Rover 2021 (en route) Soft landing
TBD India Mars Orbiter Mission 2 2024 (Planned)[89] TBD
First Asteroid explorations
1 Japan Hayabusa 2003 Sample return
2 China Chang'e 2 2012 Flyby
Other comparable technologies
Multi-satellite simultaneous launches
Launch of foreign satellite
Geostationary launches
Atmos-
pheric reentry
Rendezvous dockings in orbit
Data relay satellites
Martian missions
Solar Space Missions
Space observatories
(FB-1)[90]
3 Sats 1990
CZ-2E
science satellite 1984
Dong Fang Hong 02
(by CZ-3) 1975
FSW-0 2011
Tiangong 1 2000
Beidou 2008
Tianlian I 2011
Yinghuo-1
(Failure) (planned)
Solar Space Telescope 2017
Space Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope
(PSLV-CA C2)
3 Sats
PSLV-C2
Kitsat-3
DLR-Tubsat 2001
Kalpana-1
(by PSLV) 2007
SRE-1 SPADEX
(planned)
IRNSS[91] IDRSS
Mangalyaan[87]
(orbiter) 2021 (planned)
Aditya-L1 2015
(H-I H15F)[92]
FedSat 1977
ETS-II[93]
(by N-I) 1994
OREX 1997
ETS-VII[94] 2010
QZSS[95] 2002
Kodama 1998
(orbiter) (Failure) 1975
Taiyo[96] 1979
Hakucho
? : Date is assumed
Only projects with under-development or above status have been listed
Long March 3B lifting off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
Launch of GSLV Mk III D2 from SLP SDSC carrying GSAT-29.
H-IIB F2 carrying HTV-2.
The list documents launch systems developed or used by national space agencies only and not private spaceflight companies.
Retired/Cancelled
Launch system
Class and type
LEO (Orbit)
Al-Abid Iraq Small lift expendable launch vehicle 100 kg (220 lb) to 300 kg (660 lb) (200 km (120 mi) to 500 km (310 mi) N/A 1989 Space Research Center, Baghdad Abandoned [97]
Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle India Small lift expendable launch vehicle 150 kg (330 lb) (400 km (250 mi)) N/A 1987 ISRO Retired [98]
Epsilon Japan Small lift expendable launch vehicle 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) (250 km (160 mi)x500 km (310 mi))
700 kg (1,500 lb) (500 km (310 mi)) 590 kg (1,300 lb) to 500 km (310 mi) (SSO) 2013 JAXA/IHI In service [99]
Feng Bao 1 China Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) 1972 Shanghai Bureau No.2 Retired [100]
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk I India Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) 2,150 kg (4,740 lb) 2001 ISRO Retired [101]
GSLV Mk II 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) 2010 ISRO In service
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III India Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) 2014 (Suborbital)
2017 (Orbital) ISRO In service [102]
GX Japan
United States Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,600 kg (7,900 lb) 1,814 kg (3,999 lb) to 800 km (500 mi) SSO N/A JAXA/ULA/IHI Cancelled [103]
H-I Japan
United States Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) 1986 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/McDonnell Douglas Retired [104]
H-II H-II Japan Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 10,060 kg (22,180 lb) 3,930 kg (8,660 lb) 1994 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Retired [105]
H-IIA 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) to 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) 4,100 kg (9,000 lb) to 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) 2001 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/ATK In service [106]
H-IIB 16,500 kg (36,400 lb) 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) 2009 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries In service [107]
H3 Japan Medium lift expendable launch vehicle >8,000 kg (18,000 lb) >4,000 kg (8,800 lb) to SSO (Minimum configuration) 2020 (Planned) Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Under development [108]
J-I Japan Experimental expendable launch vehicle – – 1,054 kg (2,324 lb) along 1,300 km (810 mi) downrange. 1996 NASDA/ISAS Retired [109]
Jielong-1 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle N/A 150 kg (330 lb) to 700 km (430 mi) (SSO) 2019 CALT In service [110]
Kaituozhe Kaituozhe-1 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle 100 kg (220 lb) Not applicable 2002 CASC Retired [111]
Kaituozhe-2 Small lift expendable launch vehicle 800 kg (1,800 lb) 2017 In service [112]
Kaituozhe-2A Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,000 km (1,200 mi) Unconfirmed Unknown
Kuaizhou Kuaizhou 1 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle N/A 430 kg (950 lb) to 500 km (310 mi) (SSO) 2013 CASC In service [113][114]
Kuaizhou-1A Small lift expendable launch vehicle 300 kg (660 lb) N/A 250 kg (550 lb) to 500 km (310 mi) (SSO)
200 kg (440 lb) to 700 km (430 mi) (SSO) 2017 In service
Kuaizhou-11 Small lift expendable launch vehicle 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) to 700 km (430 mi) (SSO) 2019–20 (Planned) Under development [115]
Kuaizhou-21 Heavy lift expendable launch vehicle 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) 2025 (Projected) Under development [113][116]
Kuaizhou-31 Super heavy lift expendable launch vehicle 70,000 kg (150,000 lb) TBD Under development
Lambda (rocket family) Japan Small lift expendable launch vehicle 26 kg (57 lb) 1970 ISAS/Nissan Retired [117]
Long 1 March rocket family Long March 1 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle 300 kg (660 lb) N/A 1970 MAI/CASC/CAST Retired [118]
Long March 1D Small lift expendable launch vehicle 930 kg (2,050 lb) N/A 1995 CALT Retired [119]
Long March 2 Long March 2A China Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) 1974 CALT Retired [120]
Long March 2C Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,850 kg (8,490 lb) 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) 1,900 kg (4,200 lb) to SSO 1982 In service
Long March 2D Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) to SSO 1992 In service
Long March 2E Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) 1990 In service
Long March 2F Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 8,400 kg (18,500 lb) 1990 In service
Long March 3 Long 3 March China Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) 1984 CALT Retired [121]
Long March 3A Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 8,500 kg (18,700 lb) 2,600 kg (5,700 lb) 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) to HCO 1993 In service
Long March 3B, 3B/E Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 11,500 kg (25,400 lb) 5,100 kg (11,200 lb) 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) to HCO
2,000 kg (4,400 lb) to GEO 1996 In service
Long March 3C, 3C/E Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,900 kg (8,600 lb) 2,400 kg (5,300 lb) to HCO 2008 In service
Long March 4 Long March 4A China Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit 1988 CALT Retired [122]
Long March 4B Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 4,200 kg (9,300 lb) 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) 2,800 kg (6,200 lb) to SSO 1999 In service
Long March 5 China Heavy lift expendable launch vehicle 25,000 kg (55,000 lb) (200 km (120 mi) x 400 km (250 mi)) 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) 8,200 kg (18,100 lb) to TLI 2016 CALT In service [123]
Long March 6 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle N/A 1,080 kg (2,380 lb) to 700 km (430 mi) (SSO) 2015 CALT In service [124]
Long March 7 China Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 13,500 kg (29,800 lb) (200 km (120 mi) x 400 km (250 mi)) 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) 2016 CALT In service [125]
Long March 9[126] China Super heavy lift 140,000[127] 66,000[128] 50,000 to TLI[127]
44,000 to TMI[129] 2028[130]–2030[129] CALT In development
Long March 11 China Small lift expendable launch vehicle 700 kg (1,500 lb) 350 kg (770 lb) to 700 km (430 mi) (Sun-synchronous orbit) 2015 CALT In service [131]
Mu (rocket family) Mu-3C Japan Small lift expendable launch vehicle 195 kg (430 lb) 1974 ISAS/Nissan/IHI Retired [132]
Mu-3H Small lift expendable launch vehicle 300 kg (660 lb) 1977 Retired
Mu-3S Small lift expendable launch vehicle 300 kg (660 lb) 1980 Retired
Mu-3SII Small lift expendable launch vehicle 770 kg (1,700 lb) 1985 Retired
M-V Small lift expendable launch vehicle 1,850 kg (4,080 lb) 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) to Polar LEO 1997 Retired
N (rocket family) N-I United States
Japan Small lift expendable launch vehicle 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) 360 kg (790 lb) 1975 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries/McDonnell Douglas Retired [133]
N-II Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) 730 kg (1,610 lb) 1981 Retired [134]
Paektusan-1 North Korea Small lift expendable launch vehicle 700 kg (1,500 lb) 1998 KCST Retired [135]
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-G India Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) 1,050 kg (2,310 lb) 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) to SSO 1993 ISRO Retired [136]
PSLV-CA Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) to SSO 2007 In service
PSLV-XL Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) to SSO
1,350 kg (2,980 lb) to TMI 2008 In service
PSLV-DL Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) to SSO 2019 In service
PSLV-QL Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) 1,750 kg (3,860 lb) to SSO
PSLV-3S Small lift expendable launch vehicle 500 kg (1,100 lb) (550 km (340 mi) N/A Concept only
Qonoos Iran Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) 2025 (Projected) ISA Under development [citation needed]
Reusable Launch Vehicle India TSTO Reusable launch system 2016 (Flight experiment) ISRO Under development [137]
RPS-420 Pengorbitan-1 Indonesia Small lift expendable launch vehicle 25 kg (55 lb) N/A TBD LAPAN Proposed [138]
Pengorbitan-2 Small lift expendable launch vehicle 50 kg (110 lb) N/A TBD Proposed
S-Series (rocket family) SS-520 Japan Small lift expendable launch vehicle 100 kg (220 lb) (>300 km (190 mi) N/A 1980 IHI Corporation In service [139]
Safir Iran Small lift expendable launch vehicle 65 kg (143 lb) N/A 2008 ISA In service [140]
Satellite Launch Vehicle India Small lift expendable launch vehicle 40 kg (88 lb) (400 km (250 mi) N/A 1979 ISRO Retired [141]
Shavit Israel Small lift expendable launch vehicle 800 kg (1,800 lb) N/A 1988 Israel Aerospace Industries In service [142]
Simorgh Iran Small lift expendable launch vehicle 350 kg (770 lb) N/A 2016 (Sub-orbital) ISA Under development [143]
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle India Small lift expendable launch vehicle 500 kg (1,100 lb) (500 km (310 mi)) N/A 300 kg (660 lb) 2020 (Planned) ISRO Under development [144]
TSLV Republic of China Small lift expendable launch vehicle 50 kg (110 lb) (700 km (430 mi)) N/A TBD NSPO Under development [145][146]
Unha North Korea Small lift expendable launch vehicle 200 kg (440 lb) (465 km (289 mi) x 502 km (312 mi)) N/A 2009 KCST In service [147]
Unified Modular Launch Vehicle ULV with 6 x S-13 boosters India Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) No earlier than 2022 ISRO Under development [89][148][149]
ULV with 2 x S-60 boosters Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) No earlier than 2022 Under development
ULV with 2 x S-139 boosters Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 12,000 kg (26,000 lb) 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) No earlier than 2022 Under development
ULV with 2 x S-200 boosters Medium lift expendable launch vehicle 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) No earlier than 2022 Under development
HLV variant Heavy lift expendable launch vehicle 20,000 kg (44,000 lb) 10,000 kg (22,000 lb) 2020s Under development
SHLV variant Super heavy lift expendable launch vehicle 41,300 kg (91,100 lb)-60,000 kg (130,000 lb) 16,300 kg (35,900 lb) 2020s Under development
Uydu Fırlatma Sistemi Turkey Small lift expendable launch vehicle Microsatellites (700 km (430 mi)) N/A TBD ROKETSAN Under development [150]
Yun Feng SLV Republic of China Small lift expendable launch vehicle 200 kg (440 lb) (500 km (310 mi) N/A TBD NCSIST Under development [146]
China 1 5 7 8 5 6 9 11 6 15 73
Japan 1 3 3 – 2 6 2 1 3 2 23
India 2 1 2 1 1 1 3 3 2 3 19
Israel – 1 – 1 – – 1 – – 1 4
Iran – – – – – – – 1 1 – 2
South Korea – – – – – – – – 1 1 2
North Korea – – – – – – – – 1 – 1
Total 4 10 12 10 8 13 15 16 14 22 124
China 19 19 15 16 19 22 18 39 34 201
India 3 2 4 5 5 7 5 7 6 44
Japan 3 2 3 4 4 4 7 6 2 35
Iran 1 3 1 – 1 – 1 – 3 10
North Korea – 2 – – – 1 – – – 3
Israel – – – 1 – 1 – – – 2
South Korea – – 1 – – – – – – 1
Total 26 28 24 26 29 35 31 52 45 296
Successful programs
Planned, defined, funded and scheduled
Planned and proposed with no clear deadline or funding or on hold
Abandoned or cancelled
Maiden human spacefaring attempts by country
Agency engaged
First orbital crewed launch
Term(s) for space traveler
First human(s) launched
People's Republic of China Project 714 (1968–72) Chinese space program Shuguang spacecraft (Intended) 宇航员 (in Chinese)
yǔhángyuán 航天员 (in Chinese) hángtiānyuán
N/A N/A Long March 2A (Intended)
Project 863 (1976–80) Chinese space program Piloted FSW spacecraft (Intended) N/A N/A Long March 2 (Intended)
Japan HOPE-X (late 1980s–2003) National Space Development Agency of Japan HOPE-X spaceplane (Intended) 宇宙飛行士 (in Japanese)
uchūhikōshi or アストロノート astoronoto
N/A N/A H-IIA (Intended)
Ba'athist Iraq ... (1989–2001) Space Research Center, Baghdad N/A رجل فضاء (in Arabic)
rajul faḍā' رائد فضاء (in Arabic) rā'id faḍā' ملاح فضائي (in Arabic) mallāḥ faḍā'iy
N/A N/A Tammouz 2 or 3 (Intended)
People's Republic of China Project 921 (1992–present) China National Space Administration Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong space laboratory 宇航员 (in Chinese)
yǔhángyuán 航天员 (in Chinese) hángtiānyuán taikonaut("太空人" tàikōng rén)
杨利伟 (Yang Liwei) 2003-10-15 Long March 2F, Long March 3
People's Republic of China Project 869 (1990s) China National Space Administration Tianjiao-1 or Chang Cheng-1 (Great Wall-1) winged spaceplanes (Intended) 宇航员 (in Chinese)
N/A N/A 869 reusable shuttle system (Intended)
Japan Kankoh-maru (1993–1997,2005) Japanese Rocket Society [ja], Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kankoh-maru reusable shuttle system (Intended) 宇宙飛行士 (in Japanese)
N/A N/A Kankoh-maru reusable shuttle system (Intended)
Japan ... (2001–2003) National Space Development Agency of Japan Fuji spacecraft (Intended) 宇宙飛行士 (in Japanese)
People's Republic of China Project 921-2 (2020–present) China National Space Administration X-11 reused spacecraft, Tianzhou non-reentry and Shenzhou Cargo reentry cargo spacecraft and permanent modular Chinese Space Station 宇航员 (in Chinese)
TBD TBD Long March 3, Long March 5
India Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (2007–present) Human Space Flight Centre (ISRO) Gaganyaan spacecraft and small space laboratory Vyomanaut/Gaganaut TBA December 2021 (Planned)
Before 2022-08-15 (Scheduled) GSLV Mk III
People's Republic of China Project 921-3 (2000s–present) China National Space Administration Shenlong spaceplane 宇航员 (in Chinese)
TBD TBD 921-3 RLV (or Tengyun either HTS maglev launch assist) reusable shuttle system
Japan ... (2008–present) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency HTV-based spacecraft and small space laboratory 宇宙飛行士 (in Japanese)
TBD TBD H-IIB
Iran Iranian human spaceflight program (2005–2017, on hold) Iranian Space Agency Class E Kavoshgar spacecraft and small space laboratory TBD TBD TBD
North Korea DPRK space program (2010s-present) National Aerospace Development Administration Spacecraft and small space laboratory TBD TBD Unha 9, 20
First human spaceflights
Shenzhou spacecraft
Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong space laboratory
China was the first Asian country and third nation in the world, after the USSR and USA, to send humans into space. During the Space Race between the two superpowers, which culminated with Apollo 11 landing humans on the Moon, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai decided on 14 July 1967 that China should not be left behind, and initiated their own crewed space program: the top-secret Project 714, which aimed to put two people into space by 1973 with the Shuguang spacecraft. Nineteen PLAAF pilots were selected for this goal in March 1971. The Shuguang-1 spacecraft, to be launched with the CZ-2A rocket, was designed to carry a crew of two. The program was officially cancelled on 13 May 1972 for economic reasons, although the internal politics of the Cultural Revolution likely motivated the closure.[citation needed]
A second, short-lived crewed program was based on the successful implementation of landing technology by FSW satellites. It was announced a few times in 1978 with the publishing of some details, including photos, but then was abruptly canceled in 1980. It has been argued that the second crewed program was created solely for propaganda purposes, and was never intended to produce results.[170]
In 1992, under Project 921-1, authorization and funding was given for the first phase of a third, successful attempt at crewed spaceflight, using a Shenzhou spacecraft. The Shenzhou program included four uncrewed test flights and two crewed missions. The first one was Shenzhou 1 on 20 November 1999. On 9 January 2001, Shenzhou 2 was launched, carrying test animals. Shenzhou 3 and Shenzhou 4 were launched in 2002, carrying test dummies. Following these was the successful Shenzhou 5, China's first crewed mission into space on 15 October 2003, which put Yang Liwei in orbit for 21 hours and made China the third nation to launch a human into orbit.[citation needed]
The second phase of Project 921 started with Shenzhou 7, China's first spacewalk mission. Then, two crewed missions were planned for the first Chinese space laboratory. The PRC initially designed the Shenzhou spacecraft with docking technologies imported from Russia, meaning that it was compatible with the International Space Station (ISS). On 29 September 2011, China launched the Tiangong 1 Space Laboratory. This target module was intended to be the first step in testing the technology required for a planned space station. On 31 October 2011, a Long March 2F rocket carried the Shenzhou 8 uncrewed spacecraft into orbit, which docked twice with the Tiangong 1 module. On 16 June 2012, the Shenzhou 9 craft took off with a crew of three and successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 laboratory on 18 June 2012, at 06:07 UTC, marking China's first crewed spacecraft docking.[171]
Continuing programs
Chinese large modular space station
Under Project 921-2, a larger permanent crewed modular Chinese Space Station would constitute the third and last phase of China's LEO human spacefaring. This will have a modular design with an eventual weight of around 60 tons, to be completed sometime before 2020. The first section, designated Tiangong 3, is scheduled for launch after Tiangong 2.[172] The new station will be supported by new X-11 reused crewed, Tianzhou non-reentry and Shenzhou Cargo reentry cargo spacecraft. The first uncrewed flight of X-11 took place on 5 May 2020.[citation needed]
The PRC aims for a human moon landing in the 2030s.[citation needed]
Also, a reusable shuttle system with crewed winged spaceplane orbiter is projected. The first such Tianjiao-1 and Chang Cheng-1 (Great Wall-1) systems were considered in the 1980s–1990s, under Project 869. Now, Project 921-3 plans for a Reusable Launch Vehicle with Shenlong orbiter. As an alternative, the Tengyun two wing-staged reusable shuttle system and HTS maglev launch assist space shuttle were proposed.[citation needed]
Recovery of the CARE module
Just a few days after China said that it would put a human into orbit in the second half of 2003, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee publicly urged his country's scientists to work toward sending a man to the Moon.[173]
India's Human Spaceflight Programme (HSP) was officially started in 2007[174][175] by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with the aim of developing the technology needed to launch crewed spacecraft into low Earth orbit.[176] To demonstrate the ability of recovering crewed orbiters, SRE-1 was conducted in the same year.[177] The GSLV Mk III launch system—with the ability to put 10 tonnes in LEO, sufficient to carry crewed spacecraft—was developed, and work on the ISRO Orbital Vehicle initiated. In December 2014, a Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment was conducted during the sub-orbital flight of GSLV Mk III.[178]
The Mysore-based Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has developed dried and packaged food for astronauts. The food laboratory has developed around 70 varieties of dehydrated and processed food items that have undergone strict procedures to zero-in on containing the necessary micro bacterial and macro bacterial nutrients. Special care has to be taken in the packaging. The food item should be of limited weight but at the same time should be high in nutrition.[179]
In July 2018, a pad abort test was conducted to validate a crew escape system.[180] Parachute tests were scheduled before the end of 2019 and multiple in-flight abort tests were planned starting mid-2020.[89]
On 15 August (Indian independence day) 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that before India's 75th independence day in 2022, the country would have sent humans into space. The crewed module mission was renamed Gaganyaan.[181] India is expected to send 3 humans into LEO on Gaganyaan spacecraft for 3–4 days onboard a GSLV Mk III launch vehicle.[182]
Before the prime minister's August 2018 announcement, human spaceflight was not a priority for ISRO, although most of the required capability for it had been realised;[183] afterward it received the highest priority.[184] The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) was set up in January 2019 to coordinate implementation of the mission.[185] A third launch pad is under construction at Satish Dhawan Space Centre with the ability to support heavy lift launchers and human spaceflight while the second one is being augmented with similar systems to realise the mission on time. India's crewed orbital vehicle will have two uncrewed flights–at the end of 2020 and mid-2021—before actually taking humans onboard at the end of 2021. Indian astronauts will be dubbed "Vyomanauts"[186] or "Gaganauts". Selected by the Indian Institute of Aerospace Medicine, a team of seven test pilots from the Indian Air Force are undergoing training in Russia per the memorandum of understanding with Glavkosmos, out of which 4 will be ready for India's first human space mission.[89]
As of December 2019, India's Department of Space maintains the scheduled date of December 2021 to conduct human spaceflight.[187]
India plans to deploy a 20 tonne space station as a follow-up programme to the Gaganyaan mission. On 13 June 2019, ISRO Chief K. Sivan announced the plan, saying that India's space station will be deployed 5–7 years after completion of the Gaganyaan project. He also said that India will not join the International Space Station program. India's space station would be capable of harbouring a crew for 15–20 days at a time. It is expected to be placed in a low Earth orbit of 400 km altitude and be capable of harbouring three humans. Final approval is expected to be given to the program by the Indian government only after the completion of the Gaganyaan mission.[188][189][190]
ISRO is planning to conduct SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) in 2020 to develop techniques related to orbital rendezvous, docking, formation flying, and remote robotic arm operations, for application to human spaceflight, in-space satellite servicing, and other proximity operations that will be critical for space station operations.[191]
The agency intends to conduct a crewed lunar landing, as well, in future.[192][193]
Since the late 1980s National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) has developed the HOPE-X small crewed winged spaceplane that would be launched by an H-IIA rocket. Despite having successfully flown sub-scale test prototypes, the project was cancelled in 2003 in favor of participation in the International Space Station with the Kibō Japanese Experiment Module and H-II Transfer Vehicle cargo spacecraft.
As an alternative to HOPE-X, NASDA in 2001 proposed the Fuji crewed capsuled spacecraft for independent or ISS shuttle flights; but the project was not adopted. Since 2008, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has developed the H-II Transfer Vehicle cargo spacecraft–based crewed spacecraft.
In 1993–1997, the Japanese Rocket Society [ja], Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries proposed the Kankoh-maru vertical-takeoff-and-landing single-stage crewed cargo reusable launch system. In 2005, this system was proposed for space tourism.
Iran expressed for the first time its intention to send a human into space during the summit of Soviet and Iranian Presidents in 1990. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev reached an agreement in principle with President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to make joint Soviet–Iranian crewed flights to the Mir space station; but an agreement was never finalized, due to the subsequent dissolution of USSR.
On 21 November 2005, the Iranian News Agency claimed that Iran has a human space program along with plans for the development of a spacecraft and a space laboratory. [194] On 20 August 2008, the head of the Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (IAIO), Reza Taghipour, revealed that Iran intends to launch a human mission into space within a decade. This goal was described as the country's top priority for the next 10 years, in order to make Iran the leading space power of the region by 2021.[195][196]
In August 2010, President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran's first astronaut should be sent into space onboard an Iranian spacecraft by no later than 2019.[197][198] A sub-orbital spaceflight was conducted in 2016.[199]
On 17 February 2015, Iran unveiled a mock prototype of an Iranian crewed spacecraft that would be capable of taking one astronaut into space.[200] According to Iran's space administrator, this program was indefinitely put on hold in 2017.[201]
According to unofficial Chinese internet sources, an Iranian participation in the future Chinese space station program has been under discussion.[202] Currently, Iran doesn't have a medium-lift rocket similar to the Long March 2F, GSLV Mk III, or H-IIA, presently making Iran's sending a human into space unlikely.[203]
According to a 5 December 1989 press release from the Iraqi News Agency, about the first (and last) test of the Tammouz space launcher, Iraq intended to develop crewed space facilities by the end of the 20th century. These plans were put to an end by the Gulf War of 1991 and the hard economic times that followed.[citation needed]
Solar System exploration and human spaceflights are major space technologies in the public eye. Since Sakigake, the first interplanetary probe from Asia, was launched in 1985, Japan has completed the most planetary explorations, but other nations are catching up.[citation needed]
The Moon is thought to be rich in Helium-3, which could one day be used in nuclear fusion power plants, to meet future energy demands in Asia. All three main Asian space powers plan to send people to the Moon in the distant future and have already sent lunar probes.[citation needed]
Asian lunar exploration probes
Mission name
(MUSES-A) Flyby/Orbiter 1990 Mu-3S-II Success
Hagoromo Orbiter Failure
Lunar-A Orbiter 2004 (intended)
Never launched M5 Cancelled and integrated into Russia's Luna-Glob.
(VRAD) Orbiter 2007 H-IIA 202 Success
Chang'e 1 Orbiter 2007 Long March 3A Success
Chandrayaan-1 Orbiter 2008 PSLV-XL Success
Chang'e 2 Orbiter 2010 Long March 3C Success
Chang'e 3 Orbiter
Rover 2013 Long March 3B Success
Chang'e 5-T1 Flyby 2014 Long March 3C Success
Chang'e 4 Orbiters
Rover 2018–19 Long March 4C and Long March 3B Success
Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter
Rover 2019 GSLV MkIII Partial success
Chang'e 5 Sample return 2020 Long March 5 Success
Chandrayaan-3 Lander
Rover Q2 2021 GSLV MkIII Planned
SELENE-2 Orbiter
Rover 2020s (intended) H-IIA (intended) Cancelled
SLIM Lander January 2022 H-IIA 202 Planned
Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter Orbiter August 2022 Falcon 9 Planned
DESTINY+ Flyby 2022 Epsilon Planned
Chang'e 6 Sample return 2023–24 Long March 5 Planned
Chang'e 7 Lander 2023 TBD Planned
Lunar Polar Exploration Mission Orbiter
Rover 2024 H3 Proposed
Chang'e 8 Lander 2026 TBD Proposed
North Korean mission to Moon TBD 2026 Unha-20 Proposed
Probing the Moon
Japan was the first Asian country to launch a lunar probe. The Hiten (Japanese: "flying angel") spacecraft (known before the launch as MUSES-A), built by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science of Japan, was launched on 24 January 1990. In many ways, the mission did not go as was planned. Kaguya, the second Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft, was launched on 14 September 2007.[citation needed]
China launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, on 24 October 2007; the probe successfully entered lunar orbit on 5 November 2007.[citation needed]
India launched its first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, on 22 October 2008; the probe successfully entered its final lunar orbit on 2 November 2008. The mission was considered a major success, and the probe detected water on the lunar surface.[citation needed]
Moon landings
The first confirmed Moon landing from Asia was Hiten's mission in 1993. Before an intentional hard landing at the end of the mission, some pictures of the lunar surface were taken before impact.[204] Hiten was not designed as a Moon lander and had few scientific instruments for lunar exploration. The next Japanese Moon-landing program was the LUNAR-A, in development since 1992. Although the LUNAR-A orbiter was cancelled, its penetrators were integrated into the Russian Luna-Glob program, which was scheduled to launch in 2011. The penetrators are "relatively" hard landers,[205] but they are not expected to be destroyed on impact.[citation needed]
The next Asian probe to land on the Moon was the Indian Moon Impact Probe (MIP), which was released from the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2008. MIP was a hard lander and was designed to displace the ground under it for analysis. MIP was designed to be destroyed at impact, but its instruments performed lunar observations to within 25 minutes before impact. The lessons learned from this landing were to be applied to future soft landings on spacecraft, such as Chandrayaan-2, which crashed, following successful orbital insertion, and was only a limited success. After the accomplishment of its first human mission, India has proposed space stations and manned missions to the Moon.[192][206]
The Chinese Chang'e-1 spacecraft also achieved a\ hard landing at the end of its mission in 2009, when China became the sixth country to reach the lunar surface. One purpose of the lander was to pre-test for future soft landings. A Chinese lunar soft landing was achieved with the Chang'e-3 mission. With the Chang'e 4, China became the first country to land on the far side of the Moon. China also aims to undertake a human Moon landing by the late 2020s.[207]
Japanese interplanetary probes have been mostly limited to Small Solar System bodies, such as comets and asteroids. Japan was the world's first country to launch a spacecraft to the asteroids. JAXA's Nozomi probe was launched in 1998, but contact with the probe was lost due to electrical failures before visiting the planet Mars. The second Japanese probe, Akatsuki, was launched in 2010, bound for the planet Venus. Akatsuki entered orbit around Venus on 7 December 2015. Together with the European Space Agency, JAXA has launched Mio spacecraft for mapping the magnetic field of Mercury. The spacecraft will also conduct a flyby of Venus.[citation needed]
Chinese scientists expect that China will take 20 years to launch independent planetary probes.[208] The Chinese human Mars exploration program is planned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences for around 2050.[209] After the failed attempt to launch Yinghuo-1, China is planning another Mars mission, with an orbiter as well as a rover, alongside its plans to send an orbiter to Venus around 2025.[210] China has also been planning to send an orbiter to Jupiter.[citation needed]
India successfully launched its Mars Orbiter Mission on 5 November 2013. It reached Mars in September 2014. India has become the only country to successfully insert a satellite into Martian orbit on its maiden attempt; and, as such, it also became the first Asian country to achieve this feat. India is planning another mission to Mars in the 2020s.[211] India was scheduled to launch Aditya-L1 near the Sun to study Solar corona[212] and is developing the Shukrayaan-1 spacecraft to be sent to Venus.[213] India is also studying exploration missions to asteroids, Jupiter, to beyond the solar system like the American Voyager 1 and to exo-planets.[214]
Asian interplanetary exploration probes
Nozomi Mars Orbiter 2003 M-V Failure
Hayabusa Asteroid: 25143 Itokawa Sample return 2005-7 M-V Success
(PLANET-C) Venus Orbiter 2010 H-IIA 202 Failure
(Failed orbiter insertion)
2015 Success
IKAROS Venus Flyby 2010 Success
Shin'en Venus Flyby 2010 Failure
Yinghuo-1 Mars Orbiter 2011 Zenit-2M Failure
Chang'e 2 Asteroid: 4179 Toutatis Flyby 2012 Long March 3C Success
Mars Orbiter Mission Mars Orbiter 2013–14 PSLV-XL Success
Hayabusa2 Asteroid: 162173 Ryugu Sample return 2014–20 H-IIA 202 Success
PROCYON Asteroid: 2000 DP107 Flyby 2016 H-IIA 202 Failure
Mio Mercury Orbiter 2018–24 Ariane 5 ECA en route
Tianwen-1 Mars Orbiter/Rover 2020–21 Long March 5 en route
Hope Mars Mission Mars Orbiter 2020–21 H-IIA en route
Aditya-L1 Sun Orbiter 2020 PSLV-XL Planned
DESTINY+ Asteroid: 3200 Phaethon Flyby 2022–26 Epsilon Planned
Shukrayaan-1 Venus Orbiter and aerobots 2023 GSLV MkIII Planned
MMX Mars Orbiter 2024–2025 TBD Planned
Phobos Sample return Planned
Mars Orbiter Mission 2 Mars Orbiter
Rover TBD GSLV MkII or GSLV MkIII Planned
(in millions of US $)
China National Space Administration China 11000 2018 [215]
Indian Space Research Organisation India 1760 2020 [216]
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency Japan 1710 2017 [217]
Korean Aerospace Research Institute South Korea 583 2016 [218]
Iranian Space Agency and Iranian Space Research Center Iran 393 2018 [219]
National Institute of Aeronautics and Space Indonesia 55 2019 [220][221]
Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission Pakistan 43 2019 [222]
Philippine Space Agency Philippines 38 2019 [223]
Israel Space Agency Israel 14.5 2019 [224]
Turkish Space Agency Turkey 4.3 2019 [225]
Spaceflight portal
List of government space agencies
Asian Century
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Japan's Evolving Space Program, Comparison of Japan's program with the rest of Asia (September 2011)
Asian Space Race Accelerates, Comparison of Indian, Chinese & Japanese space programs in different aspects (November 2013)
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