Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for America Business Forum
The Amazon and Blue Origin founder faces a pivotal year as he intensifies his competition with Elon Musk and SpaceX. While Blue Origin’s New Glenn launches ramp up, Amazon Leo deployments are slated to gain pace.
Hao Chun | China Manned Space Agency Director
Credit: Getty Images/VCG/Contributor
As the race between China and the U.S. heats up, Hao is central to China’s push to put the first taikonauts on the lunar surface.
Sarah and Andrew Duggleby | Venus Aerospace Cofounders
Credit: Venus Aerospace
The company’s Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) technology is gaining traction, and Venus is focusing on demonstrating in flight an RDRE-powered vehicle to a top speed of Mach 5 or more.
Max Haot | Vast CEO
Credit: Vast
Vast’s plan to leapfrog the competition to replace the International Space Station with a commercially operated outpost will be put to the test during a demonstration run aboard its Haven station, expected to launch in mid-2026.
Jared Isaacman | NASA Administrator Nominee
Credit: U.S. Senate
A political novice no more, entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman returned to the good graces of the Trump administration, which renominated him to lead NASA. Isaacman has two main goals: returning U.S. astronauts to the Moon ahead of China and ensuring that the space agency maintains a crewed presence in low Earth orbit after the International Space Station is retired.
Potential space headliners in the U.S. and abroad in 2026 feature leaders at space agencies and executives with longstanding and upstart companies.
