Government space program spending of the leading countries in the world 2020-2022

In 2022, global government expenditure for space programs hit a record of approximately 103 billion U.S. dollars. The United States Government spent almost 62 billion U.S. dollars on its space programs in 2022, making it the country with the highest space expenditure in the world. The U.S. was followed by China, with government expenditure on space programs of almost 12 billion U.S. dollars.

The Space Agencies

Responsible for civilian space programs, as well space research and exploration, the space agencies have gained in importance over the past decades. Today, there are six government space agencies (NASA, CNSA, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, ISRO, and JAXA) with full launch and extraterrestrial landing capabilities. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is undoubtedly the most renowned of them all. Since its establishment in 1958, NASA has worked with international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and beyond, bringing new knowledge and opportunities back to our home planet. It is therefore not surprising that most of their budget goes to toward science and exploration. NASA’s approved FY 2022 budget for all sectors is 24 billion U.S. dollars.

Startups ready for liftoff

Space exploration is not just reserved for space agencies anymore. In recent years, several private companies have taken on the task of revitalizing the space race. In 2020 alone, the investment deals for space startups worldwide reached 7.6 billion U.S. dollars, with SpaceX being the biggest receiver of those investments. The American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk successfully launched 31 Falcon 9 carrier rockets in 2021, 29 of which were reused rockets, thus setting a milestone in their sustainability goals through their reusable launch system development program.