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World Space Week 2026: Theme Is Rocket Revolution (Oct 4-10)

Science · By SpikeToday ·

A white Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from a launch tower beside the ocean, with a large cloud of exhaust steam below it
A Falcon 9 lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on March 30, 2017, on what SpaceX called the world's first reflight of an orbital-class rocket (cropped). Photo: SpaceX via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.

World Space Week 2026 runs from October 4 to 10, and its theme is "Rocket Revolution". The theme looks at how launching rockets has grown from a handful of government programs into a wide field of commercial companies, reusable rockets and newer space nations, according to The Planetary Society.

What World Space Week is

A shiny metal sphere with four long antennas hanging against a stone wall inside a museum
A full-size replica of Sputnik 1 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Photo: Mys 721tx via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

This year's theme and the earlier ones

A new theme is set every year by the association's board. The last seven, per Wikipedia:

How to take part

  1. Find an event. The World Space Week website keeps a calendar of events by country and offers activity guides for teachers.
  2. Watch a launch. Astronomy magazine's schedule, published on September 30, lists two launches in the week. Korea's Nuri rocket is planned for 11:23 pm EDT on October 6 (03:23 UTC on October 7) with five NeonSat satellites, and SpaceX plans a Starlink launch from California at noon EDT (16:00 UTC) on October 10. Launch times often move, so check on the day.
  3. In Pakistan, SUPARCO has coordinated the week since 2005. For 2026 it plans contests in comic book design, rocket design and astrophotography, seminars in Karachi, a teachers' rocket workshop in Lahore and a free downloadable resource kit, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.

Why the theme fits this year

On September 28, Starship reached orbit for the first time and released 26 Starlink satellites, and the next flight is penciled in for October 19 at the earliest. On October 1, a Falcon 9 booster landed back at Cape Canaveral after launching NASA's Crew-13 astronauts.

A Falcon 9 first stage descending on a plume of flame above a green line of trees at Cape Canaveral
The Falcon 9 first stage lands at Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on October 1, 2026, after launching NASA's Crew-13 mission. Photo: NASA/John Kraus via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

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