In 2026, the world will witness a remarkable year in space exploration as astronauts embark on a journey around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era. Meanwhile, powerful new space telescopes will be poised to survey billions of galaxies, and multiple nations will launch missions to discover habitable worlds, water on the Moon, and clues about the formation of our solar system. This confluence of events marks a pivotal moment in humanity’s study of the universe, highlighting both cooperation and competition among nations beyond Earth. The anticipation within the global space science community is palpable, as noted by experts from leading astrophysical research institutes.
Mapping the Cosmos at Unprecedented Scales
Several ambitious missions scheduled for launch in 2026 share a common objective: to map the universe on an unprecedented scale and unravel the evolution of planets, galaxies, and cosmic structures over billions of years. At the forefront is NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Completed in December at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the Roman telescope could launch as early as fall 2026.
What sets the Roman telescope apart from other flagship space telescopes is its ability to capture vast regions of the sky with its 300-megapixel camera, which offers a field of view about 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope while maintaining comparable sharpness. During its five-year primary mission, Roman is expected to discover over 100,000 distant exoplanets, map billions of galaxies, and help scientists probe dark matter and dark energy, which together account for 95% of the cosmos.
Roman’s coronagraph could pave the way for future missions capable of searching for signs of life on Earth-like worlds.
Global Efforts in Space Observation
In Europe, the European Space Agency’s PLATO mission is set to launch in December 2026 aboard the new Ariane 6 rocket. PLATO will monitor approximately 200,000 stars using an array of 26 cameras, searching for small, rocky planets within their stars’ habitable zones while determining the stars’ ages.
China is also making strides with the anticipated launch of its first large flagship space telescope, the Xuntian, in late 2026. Xuntian will survey vast regions of the sky with image quality comparable to Hubble’s but with a field of view more than 300 times larger. Uniquely, Xuntian will co-orbit with China’s Tiangong space station, allowing for servicing and upgrades that could extend its operational life for decades.
Global Milestones in Human Spaceflight
While robotic observatories expand our cosmic view, 2026 will also be a landmark year for human spaceflight. NASA’s Artemis II mission, targeting a launch as early as April 2026, will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back. This mission marks the first time humans will travel beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
India is preparing for a similarly historic milestone through its Gaganyaan program, with a series of uncrewed test flights planned for 2026. If successful, India will become only the fourth nation to achieve human spaceflight independently, a significant technological and symbolic achievement.
Meanwhile, China will continue regular crewed flights to its Tiangong space station, part of its broader effort to develop the experience and infrastructure necessary for planned human missions to the Moon later in the decade. NASA, on the other hand, is increasingly relying on commercial spacecraft for astronaut transport to and from the International Space Station, allowing the agency to focus on deep-space missions.
The Origin and Geology of the Moon and Mars
Another set of missions in 2026 aims to answer fundamental questions about the origin and geology of rocky worlds and the resources they contain. Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration mission, slated for late 2026, will study Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos and return a surface sample from Phobos to Earth by 2031. This mission could resolve debates about whether these moons are captured asteroids or debris from an ancient impact with Mars.
China’s Chang’e 7 mission, expected to launch in mid-2026, will target the Moon’s south pole, a region of intense scientific and strategic interest. The mission includes an orbiter, lander, rover, and a small flying “hopper” designed to explore permanently shadowed craters thought to harbor water ice, a potential resource for future astronauts and deeper-space missions.
Understanding Space Weather and Global Stakes
Not all of 2026’s major missions focus on deep space. Some aim to understand the dynamic space environment surrounding Earth. The solar wind magnetosphere ionosphere link explorer (SMILE), a joint mission between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is scheduled for launch in spring 2026. SMILE will provide the first global images of Earth’s magnetic field response to solar wind, crucial for protecting infrastructure and safeguarding astronauts.
These missions unfold against a complex geopolitical backdrop, with the United States and China racing to return humans to the Moon by the decade’s end. Despite competition, space science remains profoundly collaborative. Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration mission, for instance, includes instruments from NASA, ESA, and France. International teams share data, expertise, and the sheer wonder of discovery, underscoring that the universe belongs to no single nation.
As we look to 2026, the year reflects both the rivalries and shared ambitions of space exploration. The global effort to explore beyond Earth is a testament to human curiosity and the potential for cooperation in the pursuit of knowledge.
