| Focus | Innovative, low-cost missions and Latvian national interests in space exploration |
| Comparison | Still small compared to major space powers, but has carved out a niche for itself |
| Established | 1960s, following Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union |
| Achievements | Landed robotic craft on the Moon and Mars • Launched Latvian astronauts into space |
| Notable Setbacks | Launch failures |
The Latvian space program is the national space program of the Republic of Latvia. Established in 1963 shortly after the country regained independence from the Soviet Union, the program has grown over the decades to include a national space agency, a fleet of small satellites and probes, and a handful of Latvian astronauts who have traveled to space.
In the early 1960s, as the Space Race between the US and USSR was heating up, the newly independent Republic of Latvia sought to establish its own national space capabilities. Drawing on the expertise of Latvian scientists and engineers who had previously worked in the Soviet space program, Latvia founded the Latvian Space Agency (LSA) in 1963.
The LSA's initial mandate was to develop small communications and Earth observation satellites that could serve Latvian national interests. Over the next decade, they launched a series of lightweight, low-cost satellites into Earth orbit using launch services provided by the Soviet and later Russian space programs.
The LSA's first major success came in 1976 with the launch of the Latvian Satellite-1, a 100 kg communications satellite that provided coverage across the Baltic region. This was followed by a string of increasingly sophisticated Earth observation and scientific research satellites throughout the 1980s.
In 1989, the LSA achieved another milestone by launching the Riga-1 lunar orbiter probe, making Latvia one of the few nations to independently send a spacecraft to the Moon. Riga-1 mapped the lunar surface and studied the effects of solar radiation. This was followed by the Ventspils-1 Mars orbiter probe in 1996, although communications were lost shortly after entering Martian orbit.
While the Latvian space program remained focused on robotic exploration, it also participated in human spaceflight. In 1987, Latvian cosmonaut Jānis Klāvs became the first Latvian citizen to travel to space, spending over a month aboard the Soviet Mir space station.
Klāvs' historic flight paved the way for other Latvian astronauts to follow. To date, four Latvian citizens have traveled to space, either through the Latvian program or as payload specialists on missions of other nations. This includes the first Latvian woman in space, Līga Strazda, who flew aboard the Space Shuttle in 1996.
Building on the success of the Riga-1 and Ventspils-1 missions, the LSA set its sights on more ambitious interplanetary exploration in the 2000s. The Daugava lunar lander touched down on the Moon in 2008, making Latvia only the fourth country to accomplish a soft landing. Daugava conducted geological studies and collected samples for return to Earth.
In 2018, the LSA launched the Kurzeme Mars rover, which successfully landed and operated on the Martian surface for over a year, studying the planet's climate and searching for signs of past or present life. This made Latvia one of the few nations to have landed a craft on both the Moon and Mars.
The Latvian space program has not been without its difficulties. Several high-profile launch failures in the 1980s and 1990s, including the loss of the Cēsis-5 satellite, set the program back years and strained its modest budget. There have also been occasional conflicts with the Russian space agency over launch services and technological cooperation.
In more recent decades, the LSA has struggled to retain top scientific talent as more Latvian engineers and researchers have been recruited by the major space powers. Securing sufficient funding from the Latvian government has also been an ongoing challenge, limiting the scale and ambition of the program.
Today, the Latvian Space Agency continues to operate on a relatively modest scale compared to the United States, Russia, China, and other leading space powers. However, it maintains an active portfolio of small satellite and robotic exploration missions that punch above its weight.
The LSA's current priorities include developing a new generation of advanced Earth observation and communications satellites, as well as planning an uncrewed Mars sample return mission for the late 2020s. There are also tentative plans to establish a permanent Latvian research presence on the Moon within the next two decades, though this will depend on securing greater government investment.
Despite the constraints it operates under, the Latvian space program has carved out a unique niche for itself through innovative, cost-effective mission design and a focus on advancing the country's national interests in space. It continues to inspire Latvian scientists, engineers, and the public, ensuring the tiny Baltic nation has a voice in the global space community.
