List of space telescopes
Ultraviolet
Table:
Photo

Name

Space Agency

Launch Date

Terminated

Observing Location

Ref(s)

OAO-2 (Stargazer)
NASA
7 Dec 1968
Jan 1973
Earth orbit (749–758 km)
[106][107]

Orion 1 and Orion 2 Space Observatories
USSR
19 Apr 1971 (Orion 1); (Orion 2) 18 Dec 1973
1971; 1973
Earth orbit (Orion 1: 200–222 km; Orion 2: 188–247 km)
[108][109]

Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph (UVC)
NASA
16 Apr 1972
23 Apr 1972
Descartes Highlands on lunar surface
[110]

OAO-3 Copernicus
NASA
21 Aug 1972
Feb 1981
Earth orbit (713–724 km)
[106]

Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS)
SRON
30 Aug 1974
Jun 1976
Earth orbit (266–1176 km)
[35][36]

International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE)
ESA & NASA & SERC
26 Jan 1978
30 Sep 1996
Earth orbit (32,050–52,254 km)
[111][112]

Astron
IKI
23 Mar 1983
Jun 1989
Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km)
[56][57][58]

Hubble Space Telescope
NASA & ESA
24 Apr 1990
—
Earth orbit (586.47–610.44 km)
[113]

Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1
NASA
2 Dec 1990
11 Dec 1990
Earth orbit (500 km)
[69][70]

Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE)
NASA
7 Jun 1992
31 Jan 2001
Earth orbit (515–527 km)
[114][115]

Astro 2
NASA
2 Mar 1993
18 Mar 1993
Earth orbit (349–363 km)
[116][117]

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE)
NASA & CNES & CSA
24 Jun 1999
12 Jul 2007
Earth orbit (752–767 km)
[118][119]

Cosmic Hot Interstellar Spectrometer (CHIPS)
NASA
13 Jan 2003
11 Apr 2008
Earth orbit (578–594 km)
[120][121]

Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX)
NASA
28 Apr 2003
28 Jun 2013
Earth orbit (691–697 km)
.[122][123][124]

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Satellite 4 (Kaistsat 4)
KARI
27 Sep 2003
2007 ?
Earth orbit (675–695 km)
[125][126]

Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer (Swift)
NASA
20 Nov 2004
—
Earth orbit (585–604 km)
[26][27]

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)
NASA
27 Jun 2013
—
Earth orbit
[127][128]

Hisaki (SPRINT-A)
JAXA
14 Sep 2013
—
—
[129]

Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment
NASA
26 Nov 2013
reusable
suborbital to 300 km
[130]

Lunar-based ultraviolet telescope (LUT)
CNSA
1 Dec 2013
—
Lunar surface
[131]

Taking into account the given table as well as the supporting text provided at the end.

Answer the following question: How many previously independent organizations were merged to form the space agency whose space telescope was launched on the maiden flight of the Epsilon rocket ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2 ( OAO-2 , nicknamed Stargazer ) was the first successful space telescope ( first space telescope being OAO-1 , which failed to operate once in orbit ) , launched on December 7 , 1968 . An Atlas-Centaur rocket launched it into a nearly circular 750-kilometre ( 470 mi ) altitude Earth orbit . Data was collected in ultraviolet on many sources including comets , planets , and galaxies . It had two major instrument sets facing in opposite directions ; the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory ( SAO ) and the Wisconsin Experiment Package ( WEP ) . One discovery was large halos of hydrogen gas around comets , and it also observed Nova Serpentis , which was a nova discovered in 1970 .
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA , /ˈnæsə/ ) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program , as well as aeronautics and aerospace research . [ note 1 ] NASA was established in 1958 , succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ( NACA ) . The new agency was to have a distinctly civilian orientation , encouraging peaceful applications in space science . Since its establishment , most US space exploration efforts have been led by NASA , including the Apollo Moon landing missions , the Skylab space station , and later the Space Shuttle . NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle , the Space Launch System and Commercial Crew vehicles . The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for uncrewed NASA launches . NASA science is focused on better understanding Earth through the Earth Observing System ; advancing heliophysics through the efforts of the Science Mission Directorate 's Heliophysics Research Program ; exploring bodies throughout the Solar System with advanced robotic spacecraft missions such as New Horizons ; and researching astrophysics topics , such as the Big Bang , through the Great Observatories and associated programs .
The Orion space telescopes were a series of two instruments flown aboard Soviet spacecraft during the 1970s to conduct ultraviolet spectroscopy of stars .
The Soviet Union , [ b ] officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR or СССР ) , [ c ] was a federal sovereign state in northern Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991 . Nominally a union of multiple national Soviet republics , [ d ] in practice its government and economy were highly centralized . The country was a one-party state , governed by the Communist Party with Moscow as its capital in its largest republic , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) . Other major urban centers were Leningrad , Kiev , Minsk , Tashkent , Alma-Ata , and Novosibirsk . It spanned over 10,000 kilometers ( 6,200 mi ) east to west across 11 time zones , and over 7,200 kilometers ( 4,500 mi ) north to south . Its territory included much of Eastern Europe , as well as part of Northern Europe and all of Northern and Central Asia . It had five climate zones : tundra , taiga , steppes , desert and mountains . The Soviet Union had its roots in the 1917 October Revolution , when the Bolsheviks , led by Vladimir Lenin , overthrew the Russian Provisional Government which had replaced the autocratic regime of Tsar Nicholas II during World War I . In 1922 , after a civil war ending in the Bolsheviks ' victory , the USSR was formed by a treaty which united the Russian , Transcaucasian , Ukrainian and Byelorussian republics . Following Lenin 's death in 1924 and a brief power struggle , Joseph Stalin came to power in the mid-1920s . Stalin formalized the Communist Party 's ideology of Marxism-Leninism and replaced the market economy with a command economy which led to a period of rapid industrialization and collectivization . During this period , rapid economic development resulted in dramatic improvements in the average standard of living , particularly in urban areas .
The Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph ( UVC ) was one of the experiments deployed on the lunar surface by the Apollo 16 astronauts . It consisted of a telescope and camera that obtained astronomical images and spectra in the far ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum .
The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory ( OAO ) satellites were a series of four American space observatories launched by NASA between 1966 and 1972 , which provided the first high-quality observations of many objects in ultraviolet light . Although two OAO missions were failures , the success of the other two increased awareness within the astronomical community of the benefits of space-based observations , and led to the instigation of the Hubble Space Telescope .
The Astronomical Netherlands Satellite ( ANS ; also known as Astronomische Nederlandse Satelliet ) was a space-based X-ray and ultraviolet telescope . It was launched into Earth orbit on 30 August 1974 at 14:07:39 UTC in a Scout rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base , United States . The mission ran for 20 months until June 1976 , and was jointly funded by the Netherlands Institute for Space Research ( NIVR ) and NASA . ANS was the first Dutch satellite , and the Main Belt asteroid 9996 ANS was named after it . The telescope had an initial orbit of with a periapsis of 266 kilometres ( 165 mi ) , an apoapsis of 1,176 kilometres ( 731 mi ) , with inclination 98.0° and eccentricity 0.064048 , giving it a period of 99.2 minutes . The orbit was sun-synchronous , and the attitude of the spacecraft could be controlled through reaction wheels . The momentum stored in the reaction wheels throughout the orbit was regularly dumped via magnetic coils that interacted with the Earth 's magnetic field . The satellite also had two masses that were released shortly after orbit injection , to remove most of the satellite 's angular momentum induced by the launcher . The attitude could be measured by a variety of techniques , including solar sensors , horizon sensors , star sensors and a magnetometer . ANS could measure X-ray photons in the energy range 2 to 30 keV , with a 60 cm2 detector , and was used to find the positions of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources . It also measured their spectra , and looked at their variations over time . It discovered X-ray bursts , and also detected X-rays from Capella .
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research is the Dutch expertise institute for space research . The Institute develops and uses innovative technology for research in space , focusing on astrophysical research , Earth science and planetary research . SRON has a line of research into new and more sensitive sensors for X-rays and infrared radiation . SRON was founded in 1983 under the former names Stichting Ruimteonderzoek Nederland / Space Research Organisation Netherlands . SRON is part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research ( NWO ) and has facilities in Utrecht and in Groningen .
The International Ultraviolet Explorer ( IUE ) ( a.k.a . Explorer 57 ) was an astronomical observatory satellite primarily designed to take ultraviolet spectra . The satellite was a collaborative project between NASA , the UK Science Research Council and the European Space Agency ( ESA ) . The mission was first proposed in early 1964 , by a group of scientists in the United Kingdom , and was launched on January 26 , 1978 aboard a NASA Delta rocket . The mission lifetime was initially set for 3 years , but in the end it lasted almost 18 years , with the satellite being shut down in 1996 . The switch-off occurred for financial reasons , while the telescope was still functioning at near original efficiency . It was the first space observatory to be operated in real time by astronomers who visited the groundstations in the United States and Europe . Astronomers made over 104,000 observations using the IUE , of objects ranging from solar system bodies to distant quasars . Among the significant scientific results from IUE data were the first large scale studies of stellar winds , accurate measurements of the way interstellar dust absorbs light , and measurements of the supernova SN1987A which showed that it defied stellar evolution theories as they then stood . When the mission ended , it was considered the most successful astronomical satellite ever .
The European Space Agency pronunciation ( help·info ) ( ESA ; French : Agence spatiale européenne pronunciation ( help·info ) , ASE ; German : Europäische Weltraumorganisation ) is an intergovernmental organisation of 22 member states dedicated to the exploration of space . Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris , ESA has a worldwide staff of about 2,200 in 2018 and an annual budget of about €6.68 billion ( ~US $ 7.43 billion ) in 2020 . ESA 's space flight programme includes human spaceflight ( mainly through participation in the International Space Station program ) ; the launch and operation of uncrewed exploration missions to other planets and the Moon ; Earth observation , science and telecommunication ; designing launch vehicles ; and maintaining a major spaceport , the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou , French Guiana . The main European launch vehicle Ariane 5 is operated through Arianespace with ESA sharing in the costs of launching and further developing this launch vehicle . The agency is also working with NASA to manufacture the Orion Spacecraft service module , that will fly on the Space Launch System . The agency 's facilities are distributed among the following centres :
The Science and Engineering Research Council ( SERC ) and its predecessor the Science Research Council ( SRC ) were the UK agencies in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities , including astronomy , biotechnology and biological sciences , space research and particle physics , between 1965 and 1994 . The SERC also had oversight of
Astron was a Soviet spacecraft launched on 23 March 1983 at 12:45:06 UTC , using Proton launcher , which was designed to fulfill an astrophysics mission . It was based on the 4MV spacecraft design and was operational for six years as the largest ultraviolet space telescope during its lifetime . The project was headed by Alexandr Boyarchuk . The spacecraft was designed and constructed by the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory and NPO Lavochkin . A group of scientists from these institutions was awarded the USSR State Prize for their work on Astron . Astron 's payload consisted of an 80 cm ultraviolet telescope which was designed jointly by the USSR and France , and an X-ray spectroscope on board . It could take UV spectra 150-350 nm . Placed into an orbit with an apogee of 185,000 kilometres ( 115,000 mi ) it could make observations outside the Earth 's umbra and radiation belt . Among the most important observations by Astron were those of the SN 1987A supernova on March 4-12 , 1987 and of Halley 's Comet in December , 1985 , that allowed a group of Soviet scientists to develop a model of the coma surrounding Halley 's Comet .
The Russian Space Research Institute ( Russian : Институт космических исследований Российской академии наук , Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Russian abbreviation : ИКИ РАН , IKI RAN ) is the leading organization of the Russian Academy of Sciences on space exploration to benefit fundamental science . It was formerly known as the Space Research Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences ( Russian abbr . : ИКИ АН СССР , IKI AN SSSR ) . The Institute is located in Moscow with a staff of 289 scientists . It conducts scientific research in the fields of astrophysics , planetary science , solar physics , Sun-Earth relations , cosmic plasma , and geophysics . IKI also develops and tests space technologies in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Federal Space Agency .
The Hubble Space Telescope ( often referred to as HST or Hubble ) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation . It was not the first space telescope but it is one of the largest and most versatile , well known both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy . The Hubble telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA 's Great Observatories , along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory , the Chandra X-ray Observatory , and the Spitzer Space Telescope . Hubble features a 2.4-meter ( 7.9 ft ) mirror , and its four main instruments observe in the ultraviolet , visible , and near infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum . Hubble 's orbit outside the distortion of Earth 's atmosphere allows it to capture extremely high-resolution images with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes . It has recorded some of the most detailed visible light images , allowing a deep view into space . Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics , such as determining the rate of expansion of the universe . The Hubble telescope was built by the United States space agency NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency . The Space Telescope Science Institute ( STScI ) selects Hubble 's targets and processes the resulting data , while the Goddard Space Flight Center controls the spacecraft . Space telescopes were proposed as early as 1923 . Hubble was funded in the 1970s with a proposed launch in 1983 , but the project was beset by technical delays , budget problems , and the 1986 Challenger disaster . It was finally launched by Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990 , but its main mirror had been ground incorrectly , resulting in spherical aberration that compromised the telescope 's capabilities .
The Broad Band X-ray Telescope ( BBXRT ) was flown on the Space Shuttle Columbia ( STS-35 ) on 1990 December 2-December 11 , as part of the ASTRO-1 payload . The flight of BBXRT marked the first opportunity for performing X-ray observations over a broad energy range ( 0.3-12 keV ) with a moderate energy resolution ( typically 90 eV and 150 eV at 1 and 6 keV , respectively ) . BBXRT was co-mounted with three ultraviolet telescopes HUT , WUPPE , and HIT for Astro-1 in 1990 . This was , .the first focusing X-ray telescope operating over a broad energy range 0.3-12 keV with a moderate energy resolution ( 90 eV at 1 keV and 150eV at 6 keV ) . according to NASA .
The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer ( EUVE ) was a space telescope for ultraviolet astronomy , launched on June 7 , 1992 . With instruments for ultraviolet ( UV ) radiation between wavelengths of 7 and 76 nm , the EUVE was the first satellite mission especially for the short-wave ultraviolet range . The satellite compiled an all-sky survey of 801 astronomical targets before being decommissioned on January 31 , 2001 . It re-entered the atmosphere on January 30 , 2002 .
STS-67 was a human spaceflight mission using Space Shuttle Endeavour that launched from Kennedy Space Center , Florida on 2 March 1995 .
The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer ( FUSE ) is a space-based telescope operated by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory . FUSE was launched on a Delta II rocket on 24 June 1999 , as a part of NASA 's Origins program . FUSE detected light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum , between 90.5-119.5 nanometres , which is mostly unobservable by other telescopes . Its primary mission was to characterize universal deuterium in an effort to learn about the stellar processing times of deuterium left over from the Big Bang . FUSE resides in a low Earth orbit , approximately 760 km ( 410 nmi ) in altitude , with an inclination of 25 degrees and just less than a 100-minute orbital period . Its Explorer designation is Explorer 77 . On 12 July 2007 , FUSE 's final reaction wheel , which is required for accurately pointing a spacecraft , failed and efforts to restart it were unsuccessful . An announcement was made on 6 September that because the fine control needed to perform its mission had been lost , the FUSE mission would be terminated .
The National Centre for Space Studies ( CNES ) ( French : Centre national d'études spatiales ) is the French government space agency ( administratively , a public administration with industrial and commercial purpose ) . Its headquarters are located in central Paris and it is under the supervision of the French Ministries of Defence and Research . It operates from the Toulouse Space Center and Guiana Space Centre , but also has payloads launched from space centres operated by other countries . The president of CNES is Jean-Yves Le Gall . CNES is member of Institute of Space , its Applications and Technologies . As of April 2018 [ update ] , CNES has the second largest national budget - €2.438 billion - of all the world 's civilian space programs , after only NASA .
The Canadian Space Agency ( CSA ; French : Agence spatiale canadienne , ASC ) is the national space agency of Canada , established in 1990 by the Canadian Space Agency Act . The agency reports to the federal Minister of Innovation , Science , and Economic Development . The current president is Sylvain Laporte , who took the position March 9 , 2015 . The CSAs headquarters are located at the John H. Chapman Space Centre in Longueuil , Quebec . The agency also has offices in Ottawa , Ontario , at the David Florida Laboratory , and small liaison offices in Houston ; Washington , D.C. ; and Paris .
CHIPSat ( Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer satellite ) is a now-decommissioned , but still-orbiting , microsatellite . It was launched on January 12 , 2003 from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Delta II with the larger ICESat , and had an intended mission duration of one year . CHIPSat was the first of NASA 's University-Class Explorers ( UNEX ) mission class . It performed spectroscopy from 90 to 250 angstroms ( 9 to 26 nm ) , extreme ultraviolet light . The primary objective of the science team , led by Principal Investigator Mark Hurwitz , was to study the million-degree gas in the local interstellar medium . CHIPSat was designed to capture the first spectra of the faint , extreme ultraviolet glow that is expected to be emitted by the hot interstellar gas within about 300 light-years of the Sun , a region often referred to as the Local Bubble . Surprisingly , these measurements produced a null result , with only very faint EUV emissions detected , despite theoretical expectations of much stronger emissions . It was the first U.S. mission to use TCP/IP for end-to-end satellite operations control . The University of California , Berkeley 's Space Sciences Laboratory served as CHIPSat 's primary groundstation and manufactured the CHIPS spectrograph , designed to perform all-sky spectroscopy . Other ground network support was provided by groundstations at Wallops Island , Virginia and Adelaide , Australia . CHIPSat 's spacecraft platform was manufactured by SpaceDev . In September 2005 the spacecraft was converted to a solar observatory .
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) is an orbiting ultraviolet space telescope which was launched on April 28 , 2003 and operated until early 2012 .
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Satellite 4 ( Kaistsat 4 ) is an ultraviolet telescope in a satellite . It is funded by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute , and was launched on 27 September 2003 into an Earth orbit with a height between 675 and 695 km .
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute ( KARI ) established in 1989 , is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea . Its main laboratories are located in Daejeon , in the Daedeok Science Town . KARI 's vision is to continue building upon indigenous launch capabilities , strengthen national safety and public service , industrialize satellite information and applications technology , explore the moon , and develop environmentally-friendly and highly-efficient cutting-edge aircraft and core aerospace technology . Current projects include the KSLV-2 launcher . Past projects include the 1999 Arirang-1 satellite . The agency was founded in 1989 . Prior to South Korea 's entry into the IAE in 1992 , it focused primarily on aerospace technology .
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory , previously called the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission , is a NASA space observatory designed to detect gamma-ray bursts ( GRBs ) . It was launched on November 20 , 2004 , aboard a Delta II rocket . Headed by principal investigator Neil Gehrels , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , the mission was developed in a joint partnership between Goddard and an international consortium from the United States , United Kingdom , and Italy . The mission is operated by Pennsylvania State University as part of NASA 's Medium Explorers program ( MIDEX ) .
The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) , also called Explorer 94 , is a NASA solar observation satellite . The mission was funded through the Small Explorer program to investigate the physical conditions of the solar limb , particularly the chromosphere of the Sun . The spacecraft consists of a satellite bus and spectrometer built by the Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory ( LMSAL ) , and a telescope provided by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory . IRIS is operated by LMSAL and NASA 's Ames Research Center . The satellite 's instrument is a high-frame-rate ultraviolet imaging spectrometer , providing one image per second at 0.3 arcsecond angular resolution and sub-ångström spectral resolution . NASA announced on 19 June 2009 that IRIS was selected from six Small Explorer mission candidates for further study , along with the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism ( GEMS ) space observatory . The spacecraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base , California , on 16 April 2013 and was successfully launched on 27 June 2013 by a Pegasus-XL rocket .
Hisaki , also known as the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere ( SPRINT-A ) is a Japanese ultraviolet astronomy satellite operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) . The first mission of the Small Scientific Satellite programme , it was launched in September 2013 on the maiden flight of the Epsilon rocket . Hisaki remains operational as of 2017 , and is performing joint observations with Juno orbiter . Hisaki was named after a cape Hisaki ( 火崎 , literally Cape Fire ) used by local fishermen to pray for safe travels in the eastern part of Kimotsuki , Kagoshima near the Uchinoura Space Center , but has the additional meaning of beyond the Sun . An old name for the mission was EXCEED ( Extreme Ultraviolet Spectroscope for Exospheric Dynamics ) .
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA ) ( 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構 , Kokuritsu-kenkyū-kaihatsu-hōjin Uchū Kōkū Kenkyū Kaihatsu Kikō , literally National Research and Development Agency on Aerospace Research and Development ) is the Japanese national aerospace and space agency . Through the merger of three previously independent organizations , JAXA was formed on 1 October 2003 . JAXA is responsible for research , technology development and launch of satellites into orbit , and is involved in many more advanced missions such as asteroid exploration and possible human exploration of the Moon . Its motto is One JAXA and its corporate slogan is Explore to Realize ( formerly Reaching for the skies , exploring space ) .
The Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment ( VeSpR ) was a suborbital rocket telescope that collected data on the ultraviolet ( UV ) light that is being emitted from Venus 's atmosphere , which can provide information about the history of water on Venus . Measurements of this type can not be done using Earth-based telescopes because Earth 's atmosphere absorbs most UV light before it reaches the ground .
Chang ' e 3 ( /tʃæŋˈʌ/ ; Chinese : 嫦娥三号 ; pinyin : Cháng ' é Sānhào ; literally : 'Chang ' e No . 3 ' ) is a robotic lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) , incorporating a robotic lander and China 's first lunar rover . It was launched in December 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program . The mission 's chief commander was Ma Xingrui . The spacecraft was named after Chang ' e , the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology , and is a follow-up to the Chang ' e 1 and Chang ' e 2 lunar orbiters . The rover was named Yutu ( Chinese : 玉兔 ; literally : 'Jade Rabbit ' ) following an online poll , after the mythological rabbit that lives on the Moon as a pet of the Moon goddess . Chang ' e 3 achieved lunar orbit on 6 December 2013 and landed on 14 December 2013 , becoming the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon since the Soviet Union 's Luna 24 in 1976 . On 28 December 2015 , Chang ' e 3 discovered a new type of basaltic rock , rich in ilmenite , a black mineral .
China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) is the national space agency of China . It is responsible for the national space program and for planning and development of space activities . CNSA and China Aerospace Corporation ( CASC ) assumed the authority [ when ? ] over space development efforts previously held by the Ministry of Aerospace Industry . It is a subordinate agency of the State Administration for Science , Technology and Industry for National Defence ( SASTIND ) , itself a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ( MIIT ) . The headquarters are in Haidian District , Beijing .