)* ▁▁ ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁▁ ▁( 2 0 1 2 ) ▁▁ ▁( 2 0 1 3 ) ▁▁ ▁( 2 0 1 8 ) ▁* ▁Pre viously ▁the ▁major ▁part ▁of ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁ ▁A ▁larger ▁number ▁of ▁countries ▁other ▁than ▁those ▁listed ▁above ▁have ▁launched ▁sub orb ital ▁space craft , ▁and ▁could ▁also , ▁in ▁a ▁loose ▁sense , ▁be ▁considered ▁space f aring . ▁ ▁If ▁one ▁cons iders ▁merely ▁launch ing ▁an ▁object ▁beyond ▁the ▁K á rm án ▁line ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁minimum ▁requirement ▁of ▁space f aring , ▁then ▁Germany , ▁with ▁the ▁V - 2 ▁ro cket , ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁space f aring ▁nation ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁Also ▁several ▁countries , ▁such ▁as ▁Canada , ▁Italy ▁and ▁Australia , ▁had ▁semi - in dependent ▁space f aring ▁cap ability , ▁launch ing ▁locally - built ▁sat ell ites ▁on ▁foreign ▁launch ers . ▁▁ ▁Canada ▁had ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁sat ell ites ▁( Al ou ette ▁ 1 ▁& ▁ 2 ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁& ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁which ▁were ▁orb ited ▁using ▁US ▁launch ▁vehicles . ▁Italy ▁has ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁several ▁sat ell ites , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁press ur ized ▁( cre wed ) ▁modules ▁for ▁the ▁International ▁Space ▁Station . ▁ ▁Early ▁Italian ▁sat ell ites ▁were ▁launched ▁using ▁vehicles ▁provided ▁by ▁NASA , ▁first ▁from ▁Wal lo ps ▁Fl ight ▁Fac ility ▁in ▁