When it comes to allocating funds for space exploration, the world trails the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by a considerable distance. The United States put nearly $17 billion aside to fund NASA projects in 2013, including the Commercial Crew program and Beyond Low Earth Orbit program.

Russia's Federal Space Agency or Roscosmos, comes second on the list with a budget of $5.6 billion. Current programs include the development of space tourism and the Angara rocket family. The European Space Agency (ESA) rounds off the top three with $5.5 billion and has made a notable contribution to the construction of the International Space Station (ISS).