World Space Week returns from 4 to 10 October, the international event dedicated to space science and technology. The 2026 edition will have the theme "Rocket Revolution" and will be dedicated to the transformation of the launch sector: from reusable rockets to new commercial operators, through startups, universities and new protagonists in access to space.
Because Space Week
World Space Week is celebrated every year from October 4 to 10. It was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly with resolution 54/68 of 6 December 1999, with the aim of celebrating the contribution of space science and technology to the improvement of the human condition. The anniversary also aims to educate the public on space activities, introduce young people to scientific disciplines and encourage international cooperation in space dissemination and education.
The dates have a precise historical meaning. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, effectively opening the space age. On 10 October 1967, the Treaty on the Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, entered into force.
The 2026 theme is “Rocket Revolution”
The underlying theme of the 2026 edition looks above all at the way in which access to space is changing. For decades, launches have been tied primarily to government programs; today, the United Nations underlines, the sector is increasingly characterized by the presence of private companies, reusable rockets, startups, university groups and new national players. A transformation that is changing not only the frequency of launches, but also who can access orbit and what activities can be developed in space.
Appointments in Italy
Also in Italy, World Space Week will be accompanied by initiatives dedicated to dissemination and space exploration. In Siena, from 5 to 8 October, the University Museum System is organizing three conferences open to the public on the theme "Rocket Revolution": we will talk about probes, space telescopes and the International Space Station, new propulsion systems and the Artemis program, with meetings hosted by the Physics Section of the University of Siena.
Among the events, there is also the one organized by the Italian Space Agency in Matera, where the ACDC_Q 2026 national conference dedicated to magnetometers for space and their emerging applications will be held on 8 and 9 October. The meeting will explore the role of these instruments in planetary exploration, in the study of magnetospheres and the heliosphere, in space weather monitoring and in some terrestrial applications.
The initiative of the European Space Agency in Frascati, however, is original: from 5 to 9 October the ESA ESRIN headquarters will host a special experience linked to Pokémon GO, as part of the collaboration between ESA and The Pokémon Company International for World Space Week. Participants will be able to search for Pokémon in the areas around the ESA center, accompanying the activity with content dedicated to exploration and observation of the Earth. The collaboration between ESA and Pokémon also includes a temporary exhibition dedicated to space and Pokémon, which after the launch in the European Agency's centers will also touch Lucca Comics & Games, where it will be present during the 2026 edition.
Among the events open to the public, there is also that of Saint-Barthélemy, in Valle d'Aosta, where on 3 October the Regional Astronomical Observatory offers an evening of observation of the celestial vault with the naked eye and with the telescope, with a guided tour and activities dedicated to understanding the sky. The initiative is organized on the occasion of World Space Week and requires booking.
