Sixty-nine years after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, access to space is no longer the preserve of a limited number of major powers. As of October 2026, at least 746 people from 52 countries had traveled beyond Earth's atmosphere, including professional astronauts, scientists, and tourists, some of whom paid for their spaceflight.
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These figures coincide with World Space Week, celebrated annually between October 4 and 10. These dates were chosen because they mark two key events: the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, and the entry into force of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967.
The 2026 events carry the slogan "Rocket Revolution," referring to the transformation taking place in the launch sector with the expanding role of companies, reusable rockets, and the entry of new countries into the space field.
108 minutes that changed history... and that's where space begins.
The era of human spaceflight effectively began on April 12, 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth.
Aboard Vostok 1, Gagarin completed an orbit of the Earth in 108 minutes, a journey that proved for the first time humanity's ability to withstand launch, weightlessness, and return from space, paving the way for a human race to reach beyond Earth's orbit. The United Nations considers Gagarin's flight the beginning of a new chapter in human spaceflight.
Between these two events, the Outer Space Treaty entered into force in 1967, becoming the basis of international law regulating space activities, and establishing the principle of space exploration and use for peaceful purposes and the non-privatization of celestial bodies.
The answer seems simple, but it's not universally agreed upon. The Kármán line, located at an altitude of 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, is widely used as the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. In contrast, some American institutions use a standard that begins at an altitude of approximately 80 kilometers.
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