A New Race For Space: Look Out For Nigeria

The second U.S. Mars Rover, Opportunity, is sending back some pretty spectacular pictures, showing possible evidence of water and former life on the Red Planet. The first rover, Spirit, after being disabled by computer problems, is back on its feet and exploring too. The successful mission should be an inspiration for the space-faring nations of the world--a community that is growing fast. No one comes close to NASA's $15.5 billion annual budget. But here's a look at who else is trying to make a mark in space.

--By Nadia Mustafa

BRAZIL

BUDGET: $53.6 MILLION One of its satellite rockets exploded on the launchpad last August, killing 21. Still, Brazil's President vowed that the country would launch its first rocket before 2006.

CHINA

BUDGET: $2 BILLION In October it became the third nation to send an astronaut into orbit. It wants to land an unmanned vehicle on the moon by 2010--five years before NASA next plans to set foot there.

INDIA

BUDGET: $450 MILLION Its largely civilian aspirations involve communications, agriculture and meteorology. But it wants to explore the moon by 2008.

EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA)

BUDGET: $3.6 BILLION Made up of 15 nations, it hopes to land on a comet in 2014 and send a human to Mars by 2033. But its Beagle 2 rover disappeared on the Red Planet on Christmas.

JAPAN

BUDGET: $1.8 BILLION With an active program of intelligence-gathering satellites, it will launch a probe to dig into the moon this year and hopes to have a space laboratory completed by 2008.

BRITAIN

BUDGET: $310 MILLION A member of the ESA, it also has its own program, focusing on robotic exploration, Earth observation and telecommunications.

NIGERIA

BUDGET: $22.4 MILLION Its first satellite was built by Britain and launched by Russia last year but is controlled by Nigerian scientists in the capital, Abuja.

RUSSIA

BUDGET: $188 MILLION It has launched more vehicles into space than any other nation, but severe budget problems forced it to abandon a moon-flight program.