Space exploration continues to accelerate in 2026, fueled by sustained federal investment and an expanding commercial ecosystem. While NASA works to advance human spaceflight, lunar missions and deep-space exploration, the U.S. Space Force is investing nearly $40 billion to strengthen national security capabilities in orbit.
Recognizing that space leadership requires a whole-of-nation approach, the government is deepening partnerships with GovCon leaders and commercial innovators to advance technology, operational expertise and shared innovation needed to sustain U.S. leadership in an increasingly competitive global space domain.
For WashingtonExec’s Top Space Execs to Watch in 2026, we identified the directors, managers and C-suite leaders in industry and government helping advance the U.S. space mission.