World Space Week is being celebrated from October 4 to 10 with the theme Rocket Revolution, marking the shift from government-led space programmes to commercial launches. India’s space agency ISRO stands among the highlights. ISRO made history with Chandrayaan-3’s lunar south pole landing and the Mangalyaan Mars mission. It is now preparing for Gaganyaan, its first crewed mission. More than 80 countries have put satellites into orbit, and people from over 50 countries have travelled to space. Google marked the week with a doodle of the Carina Nebula, one of the largest star-forming regions visible from Earth. Schools, clubs and museums are holding science exhibitions and stargazing nights during the week. India’s private space sector is growing too. Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 became the country’s first privately built orbital rocket in July. The week, declared by the United Nations in 1999, celebrates how space science and technology benefit humanity, from weather forecasts to navigation and disaster warning systems.