(Houston) — Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, will be Honorary Chair of World Space Week 2026, it was announced today by World Space Week Association. Led by Bruno, ULA has served as the custodian of America’s national security space missions, flying to the most challenging and exotic orbits the nation requires, while delivering the most accurate payload insertions in the world.
UN-declared World Space Week is celebrated annually each October 4-10 in 90 nations by schools, space agencies, aerospace companies, and planetaria, according to the Association.
“Tory is a most appropriate choice, as next year’s theme will be The Rocket Revolution,” said Association President Dennis Stone. “World Space Week 2026 will spotlight the transformative and disruptive evolution of rockets, making access to space more frequent and affordable,” Stone said.
“It will be an honor to chair the largest space event on Earth,” Bruno said, noting that last year’s World Space Week had over 15,000 reported events. “Innovations in rocket technologies are occurring rapidly, making space applications more available to the world,” he said.
World Space Week 2025 ended last Friday with a focus on Living in Space. The Honorary Chair was Robert Lightfoot, President of Lockheed Martin Space.
Executive Director Alma Okpalefe added, “As new technologies, players, and approaches reshape how we access orbit and beyond, World Space Week next year will highlight launch as the driving force opening space to more nations, industries, and applications benefiting humanity than ever before.”
“We invite the global space community to hold events, whether large or small, next Oct. 4-10 about the Rocket Revolution and share your events on the global calendar at www.worldspaceweek.org for all to see,” she added.
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About ULA
For two decades, ULA has served as the custodian of America’s national security space mission. Our rockets fly to the most challenging and exotic orbits the nation requires, while delivering the most accurate payload insertions in the world. ULA continues to carry this unique capability forward with the new Vulcan rocket, the latest and most advanced vehicle of this type. Utilizing an innovative, modular architectural approach, Vulcan has expanded into the commercial LEO marketplace, providing efficient access to all orbits into the foreseeable future. With even more innovative technology on our horizon, the sky is definitely not the limit. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com and join the conversation on social media @ulalaunch.
About World Space Week
The largest space event on Earth, UN-declared World Space Week is celebrated from October 4-10 each year. Its goal is to show how space science and technology contribute to the improvement of human life. World Space Week features numerous space-related activities organized by space agencies, aerospace companies, schools, planetariums, museums, astronomy clubs, and individuals, synchronized to maximize public and educational impact.
About World Space Week Association
World Space Week Association (WSWA) is the global coordinator of World Space Week. This international non-governmental, non-profit organization serves as a permanent observer on the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. It is supported by voluntary contributions from sponsors including, Lockheed Martin Corporation, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Viasat, Eutelsat, Airbus and Gaia Horizons. The Association was founded in 1982 and is one of the world’s oldest space advocacy organizations.
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