Written by Karan Sharma August 27, 2025
While NASA is the most famous, several other space agencies are now major players in exploring the cosmos.
In second place is the European Space Agency (ESA), a powerful collaboration of 22 nations with historic missions like the Rosetta comet landing.
China's CNSA rapidly claims the number three spot, having built a space station and landed rovers on the Moon and Mars.
At number 4 comes Russia's Roscosmos, holds a legendary legacy for launching the first satellite and human into space.
India's ISRO brilliantly rounds out the top five, famous for its cost-effective and ambitious missions.
ISRO made history by being the first to land on the Moon's south pole with the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Japan's JAXA also excels with precision, like its Hayabusa missions that retrieved samples from an asteroid.
Even Canada's smaller agency plays a huge role, providing the iconic Canadarm used on the International Space Station.
This new era is defined by global collaboration and fierce competition beyond just the USA and Russia.
The future of space exploration is a global effort, with multiple nations leading the charge into the final frontier.