International Space Agency
Established | 1975 |
---|---|
Headquarters | Magnolia Bend, Louisiana, USA |
Primary spaceport | Mid-Pacific Launch Center Vandenberg Air Force Base |
Administrator(s) | Arthur Monroe Ian Rubin Harrison Whitford |
Budget | US$250 billion (2009) |
Website | www.isa.int |
The International Space Agency (ISA), established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 6 member agencies acting in cooperation. Headquartered in Magnolia Bend, Louisana, ISA has a staff of more than 30,000 with an annual budget of about $250 billion in 2009.
ISA's space flight program includes human spaceflight, mainly through its Space Shuttle program, the launch and operations of unmanned exploration missions to other planets, the Moon and M31, Earth observations, science, telecommunication as well as maintaining a major spaceport, the Mid-Pacific Launch Center at Gagarin Island and designing launch vehicles. The main European launch vehicles, the RDA space shuttle and Zeus V Launcher are operated in conjunction with NASA with ISA sharing in the costs of launching and further developing these launch vehicles.
ISA science missions are based at McGregor Space Center in Magnolia Bend, which also houses the International Space Training Facility (ISTF) that trains astronauts for future missions. ISA Mission Control is in Geneva, Switzerland, with Space Shuttle missions currently controlled from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Contents
History
Goals and aims
Member countries and structure
Budget
Leadership
Facilities
Launch facilities
Landing sites
Tourism and museum facilities
Aircraft
Launch vehicle fleet
Space Shuttles
Number | Name | First Launch | Launch site | Notes |
OV-107 | Terra Nova | March 4, 2009 | Vandenberg AFB, SLC-7 | First Space Shuttle launched into polar orbit. |
OV-108 | Constitution | June 30, 2009 | Vandenberg AFB, SLC-7 | First American Orbiter launched on an unmanned test flight. |
OV-109 | Patriot | NET October 7, 2009 | MPLC, SLC-1 | First Pacific Ocean Space Shuttle launch; First ISA Orbiter to dock with ISS. |
OV-201 | Liberty | NET April 9, 2010 | Vandenberg AFB, SLC-7 | First 2nd Generation Orbiter. |