The CIA wants to share what it knows about the world’s space program. Anyway, some of what it knows.
The US Central Intelligence Agency, better known as the CIA, has released a new entry in its World Factbook, which catalogs programs and milestones for space agencies around the world. More than 90 countries and the European Union participate in the new organization. space program section Part of the agency’s factbook, which spans from Algeria to Zimbabwe.
A CIA spokesperson told Space.com that as awareness of the space program grows around the world, the CIA is developing “sound, credible background information” available to everyone, including students of all ages, journalists and academics. ‘ needs to be provided. Others are looking for “deep insight into the country and its space program.”
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The Space Program Factbook shows how much each country is spending on the space program based on available spending estimates and budget information. This resource also includes a brief list of major activities for each country, both historical and current.
All information in the new Factbook section is non-confidential, public and gathered from open sources. Still, the CIA spokesperson added that some readers might be surprised to learn which countries actually have space programs. Nicaragua, for example, has little to do with spaceflight, but pledged to spend more than $250 million on communications satellites with Chinese funding in 2013, according to the factbook.
The new Space Program section is the first new appendix added to the CIA World Factbook after 2021. The addition coincides with his 80th anniversary from the publication of the Factbook’s predecessor.
An agency spokesperson said the CIA’s space program appendix is a “living document” that will be updated weekly, but the agency hopes to include more frequent updates in the future.