science predictions for 2026 | Future timeline
Read science predictions for 2026, a year that will see the world transform thanks to scientific disruptions that will impact a wide range of sectors—and we explore many of them below. It’s your future, discover what you’re in for.
Quantumrun Foresight prepared this list; A futurist consulting firm that uses strategic foresight to help companies thrive from future trends. This is just one of many possible futures society may experience.
science forecasts for 2026
- The European Space Agency (ESA) officially launches the PLATO satellite, which aims to look for planets similar to Earth. Likelihood: 70 percent.1
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launches a rotorcraft to study Saturn's icy moon, Titan. Likelihood: 60 percent1
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Italian Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency jointly launch a Mars mission to explore the near-surface ice deposits. Likelihood: 60 percent1
- The European Space Agency (ESA) launches the Plato Mission, using 26 telescopes to search for habitable planets like Earth. Likelihood: 70 percent1
Forecast
In 2026, a number of science breakthroughs and trends will become available to the public, for example:
- Between 2024 and 2026, NASA’s first crewed mission to the moon will safely be completed, marking the first crewed mission to the moon in decades. It will also include the first female astronaut to step on the moon as well. Likelihood: 70% 1
Prediction
Science related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:
- The rise of the transportation internet: Future of Transportation P4
- Renewables vs. the thorium and fusion energy wildcards: Future of Energy P5
- Peak cheap oil triggers renewable era: Future of Energy P2
- GMOs vs superfoods | Future of Food P3
- China, rise of a new global hegemon: Geopolitics of Climate Change
Discover the trends from another future year using the timeline buttons below
