Romanian Space Agency

The Romanian Space Agency (ROSA; Romanian: Agenția Spațială Română) is a public institution that coordinates Romania's national space technology. ROSA, established in 1991, is subordinate to the Romanian Ministry of Education.

ROSA is not a representative of the Romanian Government, but ROSA establishes cooperative agreements with international organizations such as the European Space Agency, and the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). Along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROSA represents Romania at the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) and at its subcommittees.

In addition, the Romanian Space Agency conducts research projects through the ROSA Research Center.

There are several notable historical figures in the aeronautics from Romania, including:

Romania is host to heritage companies like Airstar, Avioane Craiova, Industria Aeronautică Română, Romaero and Societatea Pentru Exploatări Tehnice. The country currently manufactures twenty different types of aircraft, based on a mix of domestic and international designs.

The country has experience in the field of space applications, such as satellite communications, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), global information, and positioning and navigation systems. Since 1977 it has operated as an Intelsat ground station in Cheia with two 32-metre antennas. Romania has been involved in more than thirty scientific and technological space missions in the Interkosmos program, including the 1981 flight of Dorin-Dumitru Prunariu on the Soyuz 40.

In 1992, Romania signed a cooperation agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the peaceful uses of outer space, followed by a Framework Agreement with ESA in 2006. Romania contributed through co-investigators to several ESA missions such as Hershel, Planck, SOHO and Gaia.

With Romania's accession to ESA on December 22, 2011, Romanian researchers in the industry now have the opportunity to participate in ESA missions. Since 2004, Marius-Ioan Piso (born January 7, 1954) has served as acting President of the agency and as executive director since 2005. He was involved in the establishment of the Romanian Space Agency in 1991.