The space race was once a one-on-one affair. America and the Soviet Union fought for control of the last frontier. Then the Soviet Union collapsed and the remaining of the world got really curious about legal highs.
Currently, over 70 countries claim to have a functional space program. Although only a select few countries have the independent capability to launch a rocket, the info shows why even developing countries are desirous to invest: satellite imagery helps policymakers allocate limited funds. So it’s no wonder that while the United States is cutting back on its space budget, other countries are looking up.
Here are some unexpected countries with quite functional space programs. They have some problems at home, but they do well at heights.
1. Malaysia
Malaysia’s interest in space stems from the establishment of the Malaysian Space Measurement Center in 1988. The country of just about 30 million people is home to the Angkasa space agency, which has partnered with Russia to coach a Malaysian to travel to the International Space Station. This goal was achieved with some fanfare in 2007 when Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor reached outer orbit. In early 2006, Sheikh Muszaphar and three other finalists were chosen for Malaysia’s Angkasawan spaceflight program. The program was created after Russia agreed to fly one Malaysian to the ISS as a part of Malaysia’s multi-billion purchase of 18 Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets.
But much of Malaysia’s space ambitions rely upon cooperation with the United States and other countries involved within the Asian space race. Malaysia’s biggest independent success thus far: placing a microsatellite launched by a Russian Dnepr rocket into orbit in 2008.
2. Indonesia
Indonesia is participating within the broader Asian space race after India launched a successful satellite in 2007. The latter is a staunch ally of Indonesia; the 2 have partnered to offer ground tracking of Indian satellites.
His program, the National Aeronautics and Space Institute (LAPAN), seeks to make use of Indonesia’s greater than 17,000 islands as a bargaining chip in negotiations and hopes to partner with Russia, Japan and maybe India to launch its space program. Indonesia goals to be home to Southeast Asia’s first spaceport by 2036.
3. Egypt
The National Remote Sensing and Space Sciences Authority was established in 1971 with assistance from the U.S. government and focuses on Egypt’s existing satellite program and data collection in Earth sciences, mineral resources and wastewater treatment. Egypt launched its first satellite in 2007 with help from Ukraine. The country recently announced that it plans to launch a second satellite and is aggressively pursuing the establishment of an African Space Station to compete with the International Space Station (ISS). Critics say the budget and engineering expertise needed to finish the initiative remain far beyond Egypt’s reach.
Whether Egyptian scientists have the resources to appreciate their ambitions will rely upon the political climate within the country, which has experienced profound political upheaval in recent times. Egypt is widely seen as a rustic regressing after the Arab Spring, and observers have expressed fear that chaos will grow to be the brand new normal.
4. Pakistan
Pakistan’s space program, called the Outer Space and Upper Atmospheric Exploration Commission (Suparco), has a history of broken guarantees, mismanagement and misallocation of a budget of around $6 billion. Despite generous support from China and inspiring returns from some early initiatives – a satellite was successfully launched from a Chinese air base in 1990 – Suparco’s performance is questionable at best. While Suparco has little probability of achieving its goals unless the ruling regime stabilizes, China has recently redoubled its efforts to partner with Pakistan’s space agency.
5. North Korea
North Korea’s history as a domestic and international belligerent is unblemished by even the slightest degree of decency. Power, wealth and resources proceed to be concentrated in a small sector of the ruling class, while drought, famine and curable diseases ravage the population. To say that the space program looks like an indulgence – a plaything for a despot – is putting it mildly.
But it isn’t an important toy. North Korea KCST was a whole failure. Four separate launch attempts all resulted in disaster, and even a supposedly successful satellite launch in 2012 turned out to be a failure. Nevertheless, North Korea’s space program recently announced it will try again with a rocket launch to mark the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers’ Party.
6. Iran
The Persian Republic is certainly one of the few countries with the power to launch missiles. Iran put an unmanned spacecraft into orbit in 2009 and has done so several times since, although two attempts in 2012 resulted in failure. Iran also launched two primates into orbit (each reportedly survived the journey). Despite the bizarre and apparently false news that Iran has shut down its space program, ISA remains to be alive and in rapid development. Time will tell what’s going to occur to the agency if sanctions are lifted.
7. Saudi Arabia
The Middle East’s money-making space program has signed a deal to partner with Russia within the latter’s efforts to construct the subsequent International Space Station by 2023. The deal also allowed Saudi Arabia to launch its thirteenth satellite on a Russian Dnepr rocket from a base in Yasne. in Russia.
Source : inverse.com
