The year 2026 is set to be a pivotal and exceptionally active period for global space ambitions, with numerous landmark missions planned across government agencies and the burgeoning private sector. A major highlight is NASA's Artemis II mission, scheduled for launch between February and April, which will send four astronauts on a 10-day crewed lunar flyby – the first human journey to the Moon's vicinity since Apollo 17 in 1972. This mission is crucial for establishing a long-term human presence on the Moon and paving the way for future Mars expeditions. India's space agency, ISRO, is also set for a significant year, with plans to launch Gaganyaan-1, its first uncrewed orbital test flight, in late March 2026. This mission, carrying a humanoid robot named 'Vyommitra,' is a critical step towards India's goal of independent human spaceflight. ISRO has outlined a total of seven missions by March 2026, including the PSLV-C62 Earth observation satellite launched in January, and future planetary missions like Mangalyaan-2 (Mars Orbiter Mission 2) and a Lunar Polar Exploration Mission. Mars exploration will see SpaceX aiming to launch its first uncrewed Starship vehicles to the Red Planet in 2026 to gather vital entry and landing data, with crewed flights envisioned two years later. Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission is slated for late 2026 to study Phobos and Deimos and return a sample from Phobos to Earth. Beyond Moon and Mars, deep-space and astronomical endeavors are equally ambitious. NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and ESA's PLATO exoplanet hunter are anticipated to launch in late 2026, alongside China's Xuntian space telescope, promising unprecedented insights into the cosmos. ESA's BepiColombo probe is expected to enter Mercury's orbit, and its Hera mission will arrive at the Didymos asteroid system for planetary defense studies. The private space sector continues to thrive, with companies like Vast planning to launch Haven-1, the first commercial space station, in May 2026. Commercial lunar landers from Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic, and Firefly Aerospace are also set to deliver payloads to the lunar surface under NASA's CLPS initiative. This confluence of public and private sector efforts underscores 2026 as a year of profound progress and expanded human reach into space.