Just a decade ago, space was an exclusive club of two or three powers with astronomical budgets. But in 2026, that landscape has completely changed. Lower launch costs, the rise of small satellites —the size of a backpack— and a surge in agreements among countries from every continent have opened the cosmos to nations that once could only dream of having a space program.
Today, more than 70 countries have a presence in space, either with their own satellites or through collaboration agreements with agencies like NASA, ESA, or China's CNSA.
The end of the lone giant era
For decades, space exploration meant rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Later, China and the European Space Agency joined the club. But the real shift came when private companies like SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and India's ISRO drastically reduced the cost per kilogram to orbit. Now, any country with a mid-sized economy can buy a shared launch or develop a small observation or communications satellite.
Small satellites, big opportunities
Cubesats, shoebox-sized satellites, have revolutionized access. They can be built by universities or startups for under $100,000 and launched as secondary payloads. This allows countries without a space tradition to obtain meteorological, agricultural, or connectivity data.
Africa and Latin America: new players
In 2026, the African satellite constellation, driven by the African Union, is already operational in its initial phase. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have led the way, but smaller nations like Rwanda and Ethiopia have also launched their first devices. In Latin America, the space agencies of Argentina and Brazil collaborate with NASA on Earth observation missions, while Mexico and Colombia have launched educational satellites. South-South cooperation has become a pillar of the new space order.
Cooperation versus militarization
Despite fears about the militarization of space, the dominant trend in 2026 is international cooperation. The International Space Station remains an example, but now there are bilateral and multilateral agreements to share observation data, space debris alerts, and even joint plans for missions to the Moon and Mars. NASA and ESA collaborate with agencies from the United Arab Emirates, India, and Japan on the Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon.
Space debris: a shared challenge
The increase in satellites also generates more orbital debris. In 2026, cooperation is key to developing global mitigation norms and cleanup technologies, such as 'sweeper' satellites or agreements to reduce the lifespan of devices.
What does this mean for the world?
The democratization of space is not just scientific or symbolic. It means more countries can access critical data for agriculture, disaster management, communications, and climate monitoring. It also opens debates about regulating a resource that could soon be exploited: minerals on asteroids or the Moon. But for now, the message is clear: space is no longer a two-way affair. It belongs to everyone.