Space Atlas

Space Atlas

221 space research institutes worldwide

Space Atlas lists 221 space research institutes in 56 countries. The most represented are United States (50), Spain (16), Canada (13), France (12), Portugal (10). Each profile shows the organisation's headquarters, other sites, sectors and links.

United States (50)

Spain (16)

  • Asociación Cosmic Research · Research Institution · Barcelona

    Student association developing low-cost suborbital rockets for peaceful applications.

  • Centro Astronómico Hispano en Andalucía (CAHA) — Calar Alto Observatory · Research Institution · Gérgal

    Spanish astronomical observatory in the Sierra de los Filabres, Almería — operates 1.23, 2.2 and 3.5 m telescopes; run by CSIC and the Junta de Andalucía.

  • Centro Avanzado de Tecnologías Aeroespaciales (CATEC) · Research Institution · La Rinconada

    Andalusian aerospace technology centre — conducts R&D in materials, additive manufacturing, avionics and robotics for aeronautics and space.

  • Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) · Research Institution · Torrejón de Ardoz

    Spanish CSIC–INTA joint research centre — studies the origin and evolution of life in the Universe and builds instruments for planetary missions.

  • Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón (CEFCA) · Research Institution · Teruel

    Aragonese public research foundation in Teruel — runs the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory and the J-PLUS and J-PAS sky surveys for cosmology research.

  • CTTC · Research Institution · Castelldefels

    Non-profit research institution focused on advanced ICT technologies for space and connectivity.

  • Eurecat · Research Institution · Cerdanyola del Vallès

    Technology centre with expertise across advanced manufacturing, health, digital and energy sectors.

  • Fundació i2CAT · Research Institution · Barcelona

    Non-profit research and innovation centre focused on advanced digital technologies.

  • Gran Telescopio Canarias (GRANTECAN) · Research Institution · Breña Baja

    Spanish public company in La Palma — built and operates the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.

  • ICE-CSIC · Research Institution · Cerdanyola del Vallès

    Develops theoretical models and technologies to understand the universe — its formation, evolution and behaviour.

  • ICFO · Research Institution · Castelldefels

    World-leading photonics research centre with applications in space optical technologies.

  • Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) · Research Institution · Barcelona

    Research centre covering astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, Earth observation and space engineering.

  • Institut de Ciències del Cosmos UB (ICCUB) · Research Institution · Barcelona

    Interdisciplinary research centre for cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics at the University of Barcelona.

  • Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) · Research Institution · Granada

    Spanish CSIC astrophysics institute in Granada — conducts astronomy research and builds space-borne instruments for ESA and NASA missions such as JUICE and PLATO.

  • Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) · Research Institution · San Cristóbal de La Laguna

    Spanish astrophysics research institute — operates the Teide and Roque de los Muchachos observatories and develops instrumentation for ground and space astronomy.

  • Port d'Informació Científica (PIC) · Research Institution · Bellaterra

    Scientific-technological centre specialised in data-intensive research for physics and space sciences.

Canada (13)

France (12)

  • Centre d'Études Spatiales de la Biosphère (CESBIO) · Research Institution · Toulouse

    Toulouse joint research lab of CNES, CNRS, IRD, INRAE and the university — studies the continental biosphere using satellite remote sensing.

  • ICARE Data and Services Center (AERIS/ICARE) · Research Institution · Villeneuve-d'Ascq

    French CNES/CNRS/University of Lille data centre — processes, archives and distributes multi-satellite atmospheric data such as POLDER/PARASOL products.

  • Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS) · Research Institution · Orsay

    French CNRS and Université Paris-Saclay lab — studies the Sun, planets and cosmology and develops space science instruments.

  • Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) · Research Institution · Toulouse

    French CNRS and Toulouse university lab — conducts space astrophysics and planetology and builds instruments such as SuperCam and SVOM payloads.

  • IRT Saint Exupéry · Research Institution · Toulouse

    Toulouse technological research institute — runs collaborative R&D in aeronautics, space and embedded systems, incl. laser ground-to-satellite optical links, with industry and a…

  • Laboratoire Atmosphères, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) · Research Institution · Guyancourt

    French CNRS/UVSQ/Sorbonne research lab — builds space instruments (spectrometers, radars, mass spectrometers) to study planetary and Earth atmospheres.

  • Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) · Research Institution · Marseille

    CNRS, Aix-Marseille University and CNES astrophysics lab in Marseille — builds space instruments such as Euclid's NISP spectrophotometer.

  • Laboratoire d'Études Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA) · Research Institution · Meudon

    French CNRS/Observatoire de Paris laboratory in Meudon — designs and qualifies space instruments for astrophysics and planetary missions such as JAXA's MMX.

  • Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique (LOA) · Research Institution · Villeneuve-d'Ascq

    French CNRS/University of Lille laboratory — leads satellite remote sensing science of aerosols and clouds, incl. the POLDER/PARASOL missions.

  • Mercator Ocean International · Research Institution · Toulouse

    Toulouse-based ocean forecasting organisation — operates the Copernicus Marine Service using satellite and in-situ ocean observations.

  • Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA) · Research Institution · Nice

    French astronomy and Earth sciences observatory in Nice — major role in ESA Gaia data processing and Euclid, hosts a CNES university space centre.

  • ONERA – The French Aerospace Lab (ONERA) · Research Institution · Palaiseau

    French national aerospace research centre — conducts aeronautics, space and defence research, including launcher, propulsion and space observation studies.

China (10)

Portugal (10)

Germany (8)

United Kingdom (6)

  • Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), Durham University · Research Institution · Durham

    Durham University research centre — develops optical instruments, detectors and adaptive optics for ground and space telescopes, with space test facilities.

  • London Institute of Space Policy and Law (ISPL) · Research Institution · London

    London research and education institute — studies space policy and law and runs courses and seminars for policymakers and lawyers.

  • North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) · Research Institution · Newcastle upon Tyne

    Northumbria University space R&D and skills centre in Newcastle — £50m facility with satellite clean rooms and labs, Lockheed Martin as anchor tenant.

  • Nottingham Geospatial Institute (NGI), University of Nottingham · Research Institution · Nottingham

    University of Nottingham institute — researches satellite navigation and positioning (GNSS RTK, PPP, receivers) alongside remote sensing and geospatial science.

  • RAL Space · Research Institution · Didcot

    UK national space laboratory — STFC department at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory building instruments, testing spacecraft and doing space research.

  • Satellite Applications Catapult · Research Institution · Didcot

    UK's leading space innovation centre — supports 835+ companies with R&D facilities, satellite AIT, antenna testing, ISAM capabilities and business acceleration to grow the UK sp…

Argentina (5)

Netherlands (5)

  • ASTRON – Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy · Research Institution · Dwingeloo

    Dutch NWO radio astronomy institute — builds and operates radio telescopes such as LOFAR and Westerbork and develops radio instrumentation.

  • Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC (JIVE) · Research Institution · Dwingeloo

    European research infrastructure consortium — correlates and supports very long baseline interferometry radio astronomy and spacecraft tracking.

  • Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) · Research Institution · Amsterdam

    Dutch aerospace research centre — develops and tests satellites, payloads, launch systems and small-satellite propulsion alongside aviation R&D.

  • SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research · Research Institution · Leiden

    Dutch national space research institute — develops space instruments for astrophysics, Earth science and exoplanet research, part of NWO-I.

  • TNO Space · Research Institution · Delft

    Applied research institute developing optical instruments, detectors and systems for space science and Earth observation.

Austria (4)

Belgium (4)

  • Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) · Research Institution · Uccle

    Belgian federal research institute — studies planetary atmospheres and space weather and builds instruments for satellites and the ISS.

  • Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) · Research Institution · Brussels

    Belgian federal scientific institute — researches the Sun, space weather, planets and GNSS, and runs the Solar Influences Data Analysis Center.

  • VITO Remote Sensing · Research Institution · Mol

    Earth observation unit of the Flemish research institute VITO — processes satellite data, runs the Terrascope platform and PROBA-V user segment.

  • von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) · Research Institution · Sint-Genesius-Rode

    Belgian international research institute — studies fluid dynamics incl. atmospheric re-entry, plasma wind tunnels and space propulsion.

Finland (4)

Mexico (4)

Switzerland (4)

Australia (3)

  • Australian Astronomical Optics · Research Institution · North Ryde

    Leverages 50 years of precision optics expertise for space — designs optical instruments, the Malya thermal infrared payload and advanced sensing systems for satellite missions.

  • SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC) · Research Institution · Adelaide

    Australian space research consortium — funds industry–university R&D in satellite communications, intelligent satellite systems and Earth observation.

  • Space Environment Research Centre (SERC) · Research Institution · Canberra

    International research centre for space environment, space sustainability and laser tracking — operates the EOS Space Systems debris tracking laser at Mount Stromlo and develops…

Czech Republic (3)

Italy (3)

Poland (3)

Singapore (3)

Sweden (3)

  • EISCAT AB (EISCAT Scientific Association) · Research Institution · Kiruna

    International ionospheric research organisation — operates incoherent scatter radars, including EISCAT_3D, in Sweden, Norway and Finland from Kiruna.

  • Onsala Space Observatory (OSO) · Research Institution · Onsala

    Swedish national radio astronomy infrastructure hosted by Chalmers — operates radio telescopes and a geodetic VLBI, GNSS and time station at Onsala.

  • Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) · Research Institution · Kiruna

    Swedish government research institute — studies space plasma, atmospheric physics and the solar system, with head office at the Kiruna space campus.

Ukraine (3)

Brazil (2)

Chile (2)

  • Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) · Research Institution · Santiago

    International radio astronomy observatory (ESO, NSF/NRAO, NINS/NAOJ) operating 66 antennas on the Chajnantor plateau in Chile's Atacama Desert.

  • Las Campanas Observatory (LCO) · Research Institution · La Serena

    Carnegie Institution for Science observatory in Chile's Atacama region, home of the twin 6.5 m Magellan telescopes and the future Giant Magellan Telescope.

Cyprus (2)

  • Cyprus Space Research and Innovation Centre (C-SpaRC) · Research Institution · Nicosia

    Cypriot space research infrastructure run by CSEO and designated COSPAR's International Space Innovation Centre — hosts R&D including Cyprus's first home-built satellite.

  • ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence · Research Institution · Limassol

    Cypriot Earth observation research centre — operates a satellite ground receiving station and atmospheric remote sensing station in Limassol.

Greece (2)

Hungary (2)

Latvia (2)

Norway (2)

  • Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO), UNIS · Research Institution · Longyearbyen

    Norwegian auroral observatory of the University Centre in Svalbard — hosts optical instruments from 23 institutions for aurora, airglow and space physics research.

  • Norwegian Centre for Space Weather (NOSWE) · Research Institution · Tromsø

    Norwegian space weather centre at UiT's Tromsø Geophysical Observatory — Norway's ISES regional warning centre for geomagnetic and ionospheric conditions.

Peru (2)

Romania (2)

South Korea (2)

United Arab Emirates (2)

Bolivia (1)

Bulgaria (1)

Colombia (1)

Costa Rica (1)

Croatia (1)

Estonia (1)

  • Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu · Research Institution · Tõravere

    Estonian space research institute of the University of Tartu — works on astrophysics, remote sensing and space technology including student satellites.

Ethiopia (1)

India (1)

  • Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) · Research Institution · Ahmedabad

    Autonomous Department of Space research unit in Ahmedabad — conducts space, planetary, solar and atmospheric science and builds mission instruments.

Japan (1)

  • Japan Space Systems (J-spacesystems) · Research Institution · Tokyo

    Japanese space systems foundation — conducts R&D, test and promotion work on satellites, Earth observation data and QZSS utilisation.

Kenya (1)

Luxembourg (1)

  • European Space Resources Innovation Centre (ESRIC) · Research Institution · Belvaux

    Luxembourg research and innovation centre for space resources — set up by LSA and LIST with ESA as partner to support in-situ resource utilisation R&D and startups.

Nigeria (1)

Pakistan (1)

Serbia (1)

  • Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade (AOB) · Research Institution · Belgrade

    Serbian astronomy research institute — runs a Research Unit for Space Science and Technologies and leads MOSAIC, Serbia's first scientific CubeSat.

Slovakia (1)

Slovenia (1)

South Africa (1)

Taiwan (1)

Thailand (1)

Turkey (1)

UAE (1)

Uganda (1)

Venezuela (1)