A newly released evaluation of worldwide space capabilities has positioned the United States and China at the forefront, with China securing the runner-up spot in the overall rankings.

The 2026 Global Space Infrastructure Assessment report was unveiled on September 12th during the China International Fair for Trade in Services, held in Beijing. The findings were presented at a special forum titled "Smart Cities and Space Infrastructure Construction under Global Change."

The comprehensive report evaluates 48 economies using a framework of both hardware and software metrics, including life support systems, launch vehicles, communication networks, energy systems, legal frameworks, and dispute resolution mechanisms. Its primary focus centers on space infrastructure oriented toward interplanetary connectivity.

According to the assessment, the top ten nations for space infrastructure are the United States, China, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Italy, and the Netherlands. In terms of hard power, the U.S. and China hold the leading positions, with Japan, Russia, the UK, and India also demonstrating strong competitive capabilities. Meanwhile, France, the U.S., Russia, Italy, and China are among the leaders in soft power metrics.

The report projects that human space activities will remain predominantly focused on cislunar space, the area between Earth and the Moon, until 2035. It suggests that Earth-to-Mars space development could become a reality after 2040, though large-scale entry into interplanetary space is unlikely in the near term. Consequently, extraterrestrial domains are expected to emerge as a new arena for geopolitical and technological competition.

The report was jointly published by several prominent academic institutions, including Peking University's Center for International and Intercultural Exchange, Zhejiang International Studies University's Institute for Urban Internationalization, Tsinghua University's Center for Science and Technology Development and Governance, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen's School of Public Policy.