Satellite - First Satellites of Countries

First Satellites of Countries

First satellites of countries including launched indigenously or by help of other
Country Year of first launch First satellite Payloads in orbit in 2010-2011
Soviet Union
( Russia)
1957
(1992)
Sputnik 1
(Cosmos 2175)
1437
United States 1958 Explorer 1 1099
United Kingdom 1962 Ariel 1 0029
Canada 1962 Alouette 1 0032
Italy 1964 San Marco 1 0017
France 1965 Astérix 0049
Australia 1967 WRESAT 0011
Germany 1969 Azur 0042
Japan 1970 Ōsumi 0127
China 1970 Dong Fang Hong I 0120
Poland 1973 Intercosmos Copernicus 500 00002
Netherlands 1974 ANS 0005
Spain 1974 Intasat 0009
India 1975 Aryabhata 0045
Indonesia 1976 Palapa A1 0010
Czechoslovakia 1978 Magion 1 0005
Bulgaria 1981 Intercosmos Bulgaria 1300 0001
Brazil 1985 Brasilsat A1 0011
Mexico 1985 Morelos 1 0007
Sweden 1986 Viking 0011
Israel 1988 Ofeq 1 00010
Luxembourg 1988 Astra 1A 0015
Argentina 1990 Lusat 0010
Pakistan 1990 Badr-1 0005
South Korea 1992 Kitsat A 0012
Portugal 1993 PoSAT-1 0001
Thailand 1993 Thaicom 1 0006
Turkey 1994 Turksat 1B 0005
Ukraine 1995 Sich-1 0006
Malaysia 1996 MEASAT 0004
Norway 1997 Thor 2 0003
Philippines 1997 Mabuhay 1 0002
Egypt 1998 Nilesat 101 0003
Chile 1998 FASat-Bravo 0002
Singapore 1998 ST-1 0003
Taiwan 1999 ROCSAT-1 0009
Denmark 1999 Ørsted 0004
South Africa 1999 SUNSAT 0002
Saudi Arabia 2000 Saudisat 1A 0012
United Arab Emirates 2000 Thuraya 1 0003
Morocco 2001 Maroc-Tubsat 0001
Algeria 2002 Alsat 1 0001
Greece 2003 Hellas Sat 2 0002
Cyprus 2003 Hellas Sat 2 0002
Nigeria 2003 Nigeriasat 1 0004
Iran 2005 Sina-1 0004
Kazakhstan 2006 KazSat 1 0002
Colombia 2007 Libertad 1 0001
Mauritius 2007 Rascom-QAF 1 0002
Vietnam 2008 Vinasat-1 0002
Venezuela 2008 Venesat-1 0001
Switzerland 2009 SwissCube-1 0001
Hungary 2012 MaSat-1 0005
Romania 2012 Goliat 0001
Belarus 2012 BelKA-2 N/A
Sri Lanka 2012 Sir Arthur C. Clarke N/A

While Canada was the third country to build a satellite which was launched into space, it was launched aboard a U.S. rocket from a U.S. spaceport. The same goes for Australia, who launched on board a donated Redstone rocket. The first Italian-launched was San Marco 1, launched on 15 December 1964 on a U.S. Scout rocket from Wallops Island (VA,USA) with an Italian Launch Team trained by NASA. Australia's launch project (WRESAT) involved a donated U.S. missile and U. S. support staff as well as a joint launch facility with the United Kingdom. The first satellite built by Singapore, X-SAT, was launched aboard a PSLV rocket on April 20, 2011.

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