From a new flagship space telescope to lunar exploration, global cooperation – and competition – will make 2026 an exciting year for space

The US, China, India, Europe and Japan all have exciting missions on the horizon in 2026. Many of them are collaborative feats.

By: Grant Tremblay, Smithsonian Institution, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 14, 2026

Words: 1,596

Last Updated: 2 months ago

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By Grant Tremblay, Smithsonian Institution

In 2026, astronauts will travel around the Moon for the first time since the Apollo era, powerful new space telescopes will prepare to survey billions of galaxies, and multiple nations will launch missions aimed at finding habitable worlds, water on the Moon and clues to how our solar system formed.

Together, these launches will mark a turning point in how humanity studies the universe – and how nations cooperate and compete …

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