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The United Earth Space Probe Agency, often called simply the UESPA for short, was a space exploration and scientific research organization, based on Earth, from at least the 21st through 23rd centuries. (TOS: "Charlie X")

In the "Prime One" timeline, UESPA -- originally a United Nations oversight agency -- unites the national space agencies of Earth in 1987. (Federation Spaceflight Chronology, Vol. 1)

21st century

Though the Traité d'Unification creating the United Earth Republic was not actually signed, much less ratified, until 2130 (TNG novel: Articles of the Federation), the agency was in existence as early as 2067, when the unmanned interstellar probe Friendship 1 was launched towards the Delta Quadrant under the UESPA's auspices. (VOY: "Friendship One")

The Starfleet Museum continuity asserts that the UESPA was founded in 2064. (The Starfleet Museum: Museum Timeline)

The UESPA was formed from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, the European Space Agency, or ESA, and other national space agencies sometime after World War III. (Orion Press: "Lexicon, U-Z", 2010 revision) Its precursor organization was the International Space Agency, which had subsumed many national agencies -- but not the NASA -- as early as the 2030s. (VOY: "One Small Step")

The Indonesian Space Agency (Star Trek: First Contact novelization) was a separate entity from the UESPA, at least in 2063, when they would have paid any price to acquire Zefram Cochrane's warp drive.

22nd century

The cargo ship UES Baikal was modified to carry a short-range subspace communications system and a 100-metre-diameter antenna in 2146. This ship was intended to serve as a mobile command platform supporting United Earth Space Probe Agency operations. (The Starfleet Museum: Baikal Class and Marconi Class)

Prior to the founding of the Federation, the UESPA and the Earth Starfleet worked jointly to administer the NX Project as well as the first warp-5 capable ships such as Enterprise (NX-01). (ENT: "First Flight", "Demons")

In The Starfleet Museum continuity, the UESPA and the United Earth Star Fleet merged to form the United Earth Stellar Navy (UESN) in 2151. (The Starfleet Museum: Museum Timeline)
Christopher L. Bennett, in his post-Star Trek: Enterprise novels that include Tower of Babel, posited that the UESPA was one of five services that made up the nascent Federation Starfleet. The UESPA's remit was exploration; while that of the Andorian Guard was defense; the Tellar Space Administration, operational support and supply; the Alpha Centauri Space Research Council, research/exploration; and the Vulcan Space Council, research & development/administration. (Tower of Babel Annotations: Early Starfleet Uniform)

23rd century

The UESPA was the operating authority for both the USS Enterprise and the SS Antares, c. 2267. (TOS: "Charlie X", "Tomorrow is Yesterday")

It may be that at least the five founding members of the United Federation of Planets each had its own space-exploration organization and that each contributed funds to Starfleet as well as supported their own survey efforts. (Orion Press: The Plumber's Helper)

Personnel and matériel from the UESPA contributed to the building of the Enterprise-B, so the organization existed at least as late as 2293. (Star Trek Generations artwork)

See also

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