List of first satellites by country
First artificial satellites launched by country or territory
As of 17 July 2024, over eighty countries have operated artificial satellites.
Denotes international organisations | |
Denotes countries formerly part of another country which already had a spacecraft in orbit | |
Denotes countries with disputed sovereignty or recognition and autonomous dependent territories |
Country | Satellite | Operator | Manufacturer | Carrier rocket[1] | Launch site[1] | Date (UTC)[1] | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Sputnik 1[2] | OKB-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 4 October 1957 | First satellite launched |
![]() | Explorer 1[3] | ABMA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1 February 1958 | |
![]() | Ariel 1[4] | RAE | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 26 April 1962 | |
![]() | Alouette 1[5] | DRDC | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 29 September 1962 | |
![]() | San Marco 1[6] | CNR | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 15 December 1964 | |
![]() | Astérix[7] | CNES | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 26 November 1965 | |
![]() | WRESAT[8] | WRE | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 29 November 1967 | |
10 European countries
| ESRO 2B[9] | ESRO | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 May 1968[10] | |
![]() | Azur[11] | DLR | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 8 November 1969 | |
![]() | Ohsumi[12] | ISAS | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 11 February 1970 | |
![]() | Dongfanghong I[13] | CAST | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 24 April 1970 | |
![]() | ANS[14] | SRON / NASA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 30 August 1974 | |
![]() | Intasat[14] | INTA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 15 November 1974 | |
![]() | Aryabhata[14] | ISRO | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 19 April 1975 | |
![]() | Palapa A1[14] | Perumtel | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 8 July 1976 | |
![]() | Magion 1[14] | IAP | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 24 October 1978 | |
![]() | Bulgaria 1300[14] | BSA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 7 August 1981 | |
![]() | Arabsat-1A | Arabsat | ![]() | Ariane 3 | ![]() | 8 February 1985 | |
![]() | Brasilsat A1[14] | Embratel | ![]() | ||||
![]() | Morelos 1[14] | SCT | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 June 1985 | Deployed using PAM-D during STS-51-G |
![]() | Viking | SSC | ![]() ![]() | Ariane 1 | ![]() | 22 February 1986 | |
![]() | Ofek-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 19 September 1988 | ||
![]() | Astra 1A | SES Astra | ![]() | Ariane 44LP | ![]() | 11 December 1988 | |
![]() | Lusat | AMSAT Argentina | Ariane 40 | ![]() | 22 January 1990 | ||
![]() | AsiaSat 1 | AsiaSat | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 7 April 1990 | Hong Kong, a British Overseas Territory, became part of the People's Republic of China in July 1997 |
![]() | Badr-1 | SUPARCO | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 16 July 1990 | |
![]() | Kosmos 2175 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 January 1992 | Successor state to the Soviet Union | |
![]() | Kitsat-1 | KAIST | ![]() | Ariane 42P | ![]() | 10 August 1992 | |
![]() | PoSAT-1 | PoSAT | ![]() | Ariane 40 | ![]() | 26 September 1993 | |
![]() | Thaicom-1 | Shin Satellite | ![]() | Ariane 44L | ![]() | 18 December 1993 | |
![]() | Turksat 1B | Türksat | ![]() | Ariane 44LP | ![]() | 10 August 1994 | |
![]() | Magion 4 | IAP | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 2 August 1995 | Formerly part of Czechoslovakia |
![]() | Sich-1 | ![]() | ![]() | 31 August 1995 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union | ||
![]() | FASat-Alfa | ![]() | Failed to separate | ||||
![]() | MEASAT-1 | MEASAT | ![]() | Ariane 44L | ![]() | 13 January 1996 | |
![]() | Thor 2 | Telenor | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 May 1997 | |
![]() | Mabuhay (Agila 1) (former Palapa B2P) | Mabuhay | ![]() | ![]() | 20 March 1987 | Originally operated and launched for Indonesian company PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara. Acquired while on orbit by Mabuhay in 1996 making it the first Philippine owned satellite. | |
Mabuhay 1 (Agila 2) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 19 August 1997 | First Philippine satellite to be launched from space | ||
![]() | Nilesat 101 | Nilesat | Astrium | Ariane 44P | ![]() | 28 April 1998 | |
![]() ![]() | ST-1 | SingTel Chunghwa | Astrium | Ariane 44P | ![]() | 25 August 1998 | |
![]() | Formosat-1 | NSPO | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 27 January 1999 | |
![]() | SUNSAT | Stellenbosch | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 23 February 1999 | Launched on same rocket as first Danish satellite |
![]() | Ørsted | DMI[15] | ![]() | Launched on same rocket as first South African satellite | |||
![]() | Reflektor | Energia-GPI Space | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 July 1999 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
![]() | Thuraya 1 | Thuraya | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 October 2000 | |
![]() | PROBA-1 | ESA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 22 October 2001 | |
![]() | Maroc-Tubsat | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 10 December 2001 | ||
![]() | Esiafi 1 (formerly Comstar D4) | TONGASAT | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 February 1981 | A private American satellite that transferred ownership to Tonga in April 2002 |
![]() | AlSAT-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 28 November 2002 | ||
![]() | Hellas-Sat 2 | Hellas-Sat | Astrium | ![]() | ![]() | 13 May 2003 | |
![]() | NigeriaSat-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 27 September 2003 | ||
![]() | Sina-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 27 October 2005 | ||
![]() | KazSat-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 June 2006 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union | |
![]() | Libertad-1 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 April 2007 | ||
![]() | Rascom-QAF 1 | Rascom | ![]() | Ariane 5GS | ![]() | 21 December 2007 | |
![]() | Vinasat-1 | Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group | ![]() | Ariane 5ECA | ![]() | 18 April 2008 | |
![]() | Venesat-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 29 October 2008 | ||
![]() | Eutelsat 48D / Afghansat 1 | Afghanistan Ministry of Communications and Information | EADS Astrium | ![]() | ![]() | 20 December 2008 | Satellite leased to the Afghanistan Ministry of Communications and Information in January 2014 |
![]() | SwissCube-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 23 September 2009 | ||
![]() | X-Sat | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 April 2011 | ||
![]() | ViaSat-1 | ViaSat-IOM, ManSat, Telesat-IOM | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 19 October 2011 | Isle of Man is a Crown Dependency of the British sovereign |
![]() | MaSat-1[17] | ![]() | Vega | ![]() | 13 February 2012 | ||
![]() | PW-Sat[17] | Warsaw University of Technology, Space Research Centre | Deorbit on 28 October 2014 | ||||
![]() | Goliat[17] | ![]() ![]() | |||||
![]() | BelKA-2[18][19] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 22 July 2012 | ||
![]() | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2[20] | KCST | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 12 December 2012 | Failed to operate in orbit |
![]() | Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a[21] | Space Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azercosmos) | ![]() | Ariane 5ECA | ![]() | 7 February 2013 | Independent since 1991 |
![]() | TUGSAT-1/UniBRITE[22] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 25 February 2013 | Austria's first two satellites were launched together | |
![]() | Bermudasat 1 (former EchoStar VI) | Bermudasat | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 14 July 2000 | Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory; Bermudasat 1 (former private American EchoStar VI) satellite was transferred in April 2013 to Bermuda being at orbit |
![]() | NEE-01 Pegaso[23] | EXA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 26 April 2013 | |
![]() | ESTCube-1 | ![]() | Vega | ![]() | 7 May 2013 | Estonia was formerly part of the Soviet Union. | |
![]() | O3b-1/O3b-2/O3b-3/O3b-4 | O3b Networks | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 25 June 2013 | Jersey's first four satellites were launched together. Jersey is a Crown Dependency of the British sovereign |
![]() ![]() | Eutelsat 25B / Es'hail 1 | Eutelsat Es'hailSat | ![]() | Ariane 5ECA | ![]() | 29 August 2013 | Qatar's first satellite flew as a joint project with the French corporation Eutelsat |
![]() | Es'hail 1 | Es'hailSat | ![]() | Ariane 5ECA | ![]() | 29 August 2013 | Full ownership of the joint France-Qatar satellite Eutelsat 25B / Es'hail 1 was sold to Es'hailsat in 2018 [24] |
![]() | PUCP-Sat 1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 November 2013 | ||
Pocket-PUCP | |||||||
![]() | Túpac Katari 1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 December 2013 | ||
![]() | LitSat-1/Lituanica SAT-1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 9 January 2014 | The first two Lithuanian satellites were launched together; both carried to the International Space Station and deployed later in the year. Lithuania was formerly part of the Soviet Union. | |
![]() | Tigrisat | MOST / La Sapienza | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 19 June 2014 | |
![]() | ANTELSAT | ANTEL | ![]() | ||||
![]() | TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT | TNSA | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 27 April 2015 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union. |
![]() | Laosat-1 | Laos National Authority for Science and Technology | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 November 2015 | |
![]() | Aalto-2 | Aalto University | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 18 April 2017 | |
![]() | BRAC ONNESHA | BRACU | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 3 June 2017 | Launched on same rocket as first Ghanaian and Mongolian satellites |
![]() | GhanaSat-1 | All Nations University | Launched on same rocket as first Bangladeshi and Mongolian satellites | ||||
![]() | Mazaalai (satellite) | National University of Mongolia | Launched on same rocket as first Ghanaian and Bangladeshi satellites | ||||
![]() | Venta 1 | Ventspils University College | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 23 June 2017 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union, Launched on same rocket as first Slovakian satellite |
![]() | skCUBE | SOSA | ![]() | Formerly part of Czechoslovakia, Launched on same rocket as first Latvian satellite | |||
![]() | AngoSat 1 | AngoSat | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 26 December 2017 | Launch was successful but contact was lost quickly afterwards.[25] On 28 December 2017, communication was restored and telemetry was received.[26] |
![]() | Humanity Star | Rocket Lab | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 January 2018 | First satellite launched by New Zealand launcher. |
![]() | Proyecto Irazú | Costa Rica Institute of Technology | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 2 April 2018 | First satellite of Central America. Manufactured in Costa Rica.[27] |
![]() | 1KUNS-PF | University of Nairobi | University of Nairobi ![]() | Launched on same rocket as first Costa Rican satellite. | |||
![]() | Bhutan 1 | Bhutanese students under Kyutech-led second Joint Global Multination Birds Project (Birds-2) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 29 June 2018 | |
![]() | JY1-SAT | Jordanian students under the Crown Prince Foundation | ![]() | ![]() | 3 December 2018 | ||
![]() | NepaliSat-1 | NASA for Nepal Academy of Science and Technology | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 17 April 2019 | |
![]() | Raavana 1 | Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies | ![]() | ||||
![]() | RWASAT-1 | Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority | Rwandan engineers with support from the ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 24 September 2019 | Decay from orbit 27 April 2022 |
![]() | Sudan Remote Sensing Satellite 1 (SRSS-1) | Sudan | ISRA | ![]() | ![]() | 3 November 2019 | |
![]() | Ethiopian Remote Sensing Satellite 1 (ETRSS-1) | Ethiopia | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 December 2019 | |
![]() | Quetzal-1 | Universidad del Valle de Guatemala | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 7 March 2020 | |
![]() | TRISAT | University of Maribor | University of Maribor | Vega | ![]() | 3 September 2020 | Launched on same rocket as first Monégasque satellite. |
NEMO-HD | Space-SI | UTIAS / Space-SI | |||||
![]() | OSM-1 Cicero | Orbital Solutions Monaco | ![]() | Launched on same rocket as first two Slovenian satellites. | |||
![]() | GuaraniSat-1 | Paraguayan Space Agency and Kyutech-led fourth Joint Global Multination Birds Project | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 20 February 2021 | Launched on same rocket as first Myanma satellite. |
![]() | Lawkanat-1[28] | Myanmar Aerospace Engineering University | ![]() ![]() | Launched on same rocket as first Paraguayan satellite. | |||
![]() | Challenge-1 | Telnet Tunisie | Telnet Tunisie | ![]() | ![]() | 22 March 2021 | |
![]() | QMR-KWT | Orbital Space Kuwait | Orbital Space Kuwait | ![]() | ![]() | 30 June 2021 | |
![]() ![]() | Light-1 | New York University Abu Dhabi | Engineers from Bahrain's space agency, NSSA, in collaboration with ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 21 December 2021 | Bahrain's first satellite flew as a joint project with the UAE Space Agency |
![]() ![]() | ARMSAT_1 | Satlantis / Geocosmos | Satlantis | ![]() | ![]() | 25 May 2022 | Joint satellite between Satlantis and Geocosmos |
![]() | TUMnanoSAT | Technical University of Moldova | Technical University of Moldova | ![]() | ![]() | 15 July 2022 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
![]() | PearlAfricaSat-1 | Ministry of Science, Technology and Inocation | Ministry of Science, Technology and Inocation | ![]() | ![]() | 7 November 2022 | Launched on the same rocket as the first Zimbabwean satellite |
![]() | ZIMSAT-1 | Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency | Zimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agency | Launched on the same rocket as the first Ugandan satellite | |||
![]() | Albania-1 | State Authority for Geospatial Information | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 3 January 2023 | First Albanian satellites, launched as a pair |
Albania-2 | |||||||
![]() ![]() | SpeiSat | Dicastery for Communication/ASI | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 12 June 2023 | Joint satellite between the Italian Space Agency and the Vatican Dicastery for Communication |
![]() | AMAN-1 | ETCO | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 11 November 2023 | Launched on the same rocket as the first Djiboutian satellite |
![]() | Djibouti-1A | University of Djibouti | ![]() | Launched on the same rocket as the first Omani satellite | |||
![]() | Hayasat-1 | Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 2023 | |
![]() | EIRSAT-1 | University College Dublin | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 1 December 2023 |
Suborbital only
In addition, some countries have only attained a suborbital spaceflight, and have yet to launch a satellite into orbit.
Country | Payload | Carrier rocket | Launch site | Date (UTC) |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ARZ-3 | ![]() | ![]() | 21 November 1962 |
![]() | Warhead | ![]() | ![]() | 4 November 2017 |
![]() | Postcard | ![]() | ![]() | 11 December 2019 |
![]() | Postcard | ![]() | ![]() | 13 October 2020 13:36 |
![]() | Postcard | ![]() | ![]() | 14 January 2021 16:57 |
See also
References
- ^ a b c McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Sputnik's Mission". RussianSpaceWeb. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ "Explorer 1". Milestones of Flight. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ "Timeline: 1960s". Space Research: 50 Years and Beyond. University of Leicester. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ "Alouette I and II". Canadian Space Agency. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ a b Russo, Arturo (2002). The Century of Space Science. Vol. 1. Springer. p. 52. ISBN 0-7923-7196-8.
- ^ Kramer, Herbert J. (2002). Observation of the Earth and Its Environment: Survey of Missions and Sensors. Springer. p. 160. ISBN 3-5404-2388-5.
- ^ Williamson, Mark (2006). Spacecraft Technology: The Early Years. Institution of Engineering and Technology. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-86341-553-1.
- ^ a b "ESA Achievements" (PDF). European Space Agency. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "ELDO/ESRO/ESA: Key Dates 1960-2013". European Space Agency. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ "When did the first German satellite go into space?". DLR. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Ohsumi". Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Long, Wei (25 April 2000). "China Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of First Satellite Launch". Space Daily. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "First Time in History". The Satellite Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ a b Ørsteds Resultater [Results of the Ørsted satellite] (PDF) (Technical report) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Danish Meteorological Institute. 1 March 2002. ISSN 0906-897X. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "Reflektor".
- ^ a b c "Central and Eastern Europe Make History with Small Satellites". European Space Agency. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "BKA (BelKa 2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Belarus' first satellite enters orbit". Xinhua. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Fisher, Max (12 December 2012). "Real-time satellite tracker shows precise location of North Korea's new satellite". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Agayev, Zulfugar (8 February 2013). "First Azeri Satellite Launched, Two More Planned in 2015-2016". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "AUSTRIAN SATELLITES: BRITE-AUSTRIA & UniBRITE". BRITE-Constellation. Universität Wien. Archived from the original on 24 March 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (26 April 2013). "China back in action with Long March 2D launch of Gaofen-1". NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Es'hailSat Makes Deal with Eutelsat to Fully Own Satellite - Via Satellite -". Via Satellite. 10 August 2018.
- ^ Krebs, Gunter. "AngoSat 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Источник: со спутником "Ангосат" восстановлена связь". ТАСС.
- ^ "Costa Rica Launches Its First Satellite Into Space with SpaceX". The Costa Rica Star. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ "Lawkanat 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "Cedre 3". astronautix. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Burkan 2H". astronautix. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "SPACE-FLOWN POSTCARDS".
Zagreb, HR
- ^ "Sealand stamps blasted into space". 13 November 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "NEW SHEPARD MISSION NS-14 CARRIES MORE THAN 50,000 POSTCARDS TO SPACE FROM 13 COUNTRIES". 14 January 2021.
British research station in Antarctica
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