Last year brought a dose of drama and excitement to the space business, with a record number of launches, breathtaking views of other worlds and a number of successes and failures. 2026 is going to be another exciting year in the universe.
For the first time in more than 54 years, astronauts may be training for a trip around the Moon within the next few months. NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin and other companies are poised to take big steps toward actually landing humans on the Moon, perhaps within a few years.
The new rockets are scheduled to launch in 2026, and scientists hope to open new windows on the universe. Here, we list the most anticipated space missions scheduled for this year, ranked by our own anticipation for them. We also assess the likelihood of these missions actually occurring over the next 12 months. Unless specified, we do not assess the probabilities of a successful outcome.
1. Artemis II
Final preparations for the Artemis II mission are well underway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft fully integrated inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Within a couple of weeks, the SLS rocket could roll into Launch Complex 39B for a countdown dress rehearsal. Then, probably in February, the Artemis II mission is scheduled to depart from Florida’s Space Coast on a 10-day flight that will take astronauts Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen around the far side of the moon and back to Earth. This will be the first crewed flight on the SLS rocket and Orion capsule. Even if delays prevent a February launch, Artemis II is in good shape to fly by spring or summer. Probability of Artemis II occurring in 2026: 90 percent.
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