2026: Big leaps for Earth, space, and health
2026 is shaping up to be a year of serious progress—think deep-Earth exploration, new looks at the Sun, crewed Moon missions, and some big steps forward in health tech.
From digging into our planet's secrets to better cancer tests and gene-editing breakthroughs, there's a lot on the horizon that could change how we see the world—and ourselves.
Digging deeper and watching the skies
China plans to send a ship designed to drill nearly 11km below sea level to help scientists finally drill into the mysterious Moho layer under Earth's crust—a quest that's been going since 1961.
Meanwhile, India's Aditya-L1 mission will capture rare images of solar eruptions during a peak Sun activity year.
Moon missions and rocket launches
NASA's Artemis II is set for early 2026 with four astronauts flying around the Moon—testing tech for future lunar adventures.
At the same time, India is getting ready to launch its PSLV-N1 rocket with an Earth-watching satellite onboard.
Health breakthroughs you'll want to watch
A massive UK trial could soon deliver results on a blood test that screens for about 50 types of cancer using a blood sample to look for tumor DNA fragments.
Plus, after a successful CRISPR therapy in a US infant earlier this year, more gene-editing trials for kids might be coming soon.