SPACE INDEX COMPANIES INSIGHTS SECTORS PRODUCTS NEWS BLOG ANSWERS RESEARCH ABOUT FOR COMPANIES BUILD / 2026.06.03
European Space Agency logo European Space Agency Intergovernmental agency coordinating European space programs across science, Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications, and human spaceflight vs NASA Conducts civilian space exploration, aeronautics research, and space science across human spaceflight, robotic missions, and Earth observation programs NASA logo
HEAD-TO-HEAD3 shared sectors
European Space Agency NASA
Founded 1975 1958
Headquarters Paris, France Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Type government government
Status operating operating
Employees 3,739 18,000
Total funding
Latest round
Sectors Planetary Exploration, Earth Observation & Remote Sensing, Launch Services, Navigation & Positioning, Satellite Communications Planetary Exploration, Earth Observation & Remote Sensing, Launch Services, Space Stations & Habitats
Products listed 8 50
Federal contracts
Launches
Leaders listed Josef Aschbacher, Dietmar Pilz, Toni Tolker-Nielsen Jared Isaacman, Amit Kshatriya, Casey Swails
News mentions 14 44
SHARED SECTORS
FREQUENTLY ASKED

How do European Space Agency and NASA compare?

Both companies work in Planetary Exploration, Earth Observation & Remote Sensing, Launch Services. European Space Agency was founded in 1975 and NASA in 1958.

Which is larger, European Space Agency or NASA?

NASA reports the larger workforce, with 18,000 employees versus 3,739.

Numbers refresh on every render against the live Space Index database. Federal contract data from USAspending.gov; launches from LaunchLibrary2.