The State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU; Ukrainian: Державне космічне агентство України, Derzhavne kosmichne ahentstvo Ukrayiny, ДКАУ, DKAU) is the Ukrainian government agency responsible for space policy and programs.
The former name (before December 9, 2010) - Національне космічне агентство України, НКАУ (the National Space Agency of Ukraine, (NSAU)
NSAU is a civil body in charge of co-ordinating the efforts of government installations, research, and industrial companies (mostly state-owned). Several space-related institutes and industries are directly subordinated to NSAU. However, it is not a united and centralized system immediately participating in all stages and details of space programs (like NASA in the United States). A special space force in the military of Ukraine is also absent.
The agency oversees launch vehicle and satellite programs, co-operative programs with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, the European Space Agency, NASA, and commercial ventures. International participation includes Sea Launch and the Galileo positioning system.
Launches are conducted at Kazakhstan's Baikonur, Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodromes, Alcântara Launch Center (Brazil), and on Sea Launch's floating platform. NSAU has ground control and tracking facilities in Yevpatoria, Crimea, while the control-measuring complexes are located in Yevpatoria and Dunaivtsi (Khmelnytskyi Oblast).
Ukrainian spacecraft includes few kinds for own and foreign use and international cooperation. Ukraine has supplied Russia with military satellites and their launch vehicles, a unique relationship in the world.
Ukraine became the tenth space power (country able to launch own satellite by own launcher) in 31 August 1995 (at start of Sich-1 on Tsyklon).
As of April 2009 the Ukrainian National Space Agency is planning to launch a Ukrainian communications satellite by September 2011 and a Sich-2 before the end of 2011.
Read more about State Space Agency Of Ukraine: Main Tasks, Space Program, National Enterprises of Space Industry, Ukrainian Launch Vehicles, Ukrainian Satellites, Human Flights, Sea Launch Project, Svityaz Project
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