The Space Station is pictured in space with the Earth in the background. (Photo: Nasa)

Could the International Space Station win 2026 Nobel Prize? Experts think so

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has drawn an unusually broad field of names and organisations, with the final laureate set to be announced in Oslo on October 9. Experts weigh in on who deserves it most.

by · India Today

In Short

  • 287 candidates including 79 organisations in the Nobel Prize race
  • International Space Station symbolises global cooperation in space
  • Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9 at 2:30 pm IST

The International Space Station (ISS), a place where astronauts from rival and allied nations have worked together for more than two decades, has emerged as an unusual name in the conversation around this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Foundation said the Norwegian Nobel Committee received 287 candidates for the 2026 Peace Prize, including 79 organisations. But the committee does not publish the names of current nominees, meaning there is no official public shortlist.

An image of the Nobel Prize medal on a table at the Swedish Ambassador's residence in London. (Photo: AP)

The discussion around possible candidates has nevertheless intensified ahead of the prize announcement on October 9 in Oslo, Norway.

As the date is awaited, experts are pointing to the ISS alongside political figures, humanitarian groups and international institutions, to be a leading contender for the famed award, news agency Associated Press (AP) reported.

HOW CAN SPACE STATION WIN THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?

Haakon Gjerlow, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo and an expert on Nobel Peace Prize predictions, has identified the ISS as a possible candidate.

The station is operated through cooperation involving the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.

Two astronauts perform a space walk outside the International Space Station to make repairs. (Photo: Nasa)

Despite growing tensions between some of these countries on Earth, astronauts and cosmonauts continue to conduct research and maintain the station together in orbit. Gjerlow described the ISS to AP as a rare "symbol of global cooperation in a quest toward the heavens."

The suggestion is rather interesting because the Peace Prize is not limited to individuals, as organisations can also receive the award, and the Nobel Foundation has confirmed more than a quarter of this year's 287 candidates are organisations.

ARE TRUMP AND CARNEY CONTENDERS?

Among the other names and organisations mentioned by experts are US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian children's advocate Mykola Kuleba, Save the Children, Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Donald Trump speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. (Photo: Reuters)

The International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court (ICC) have also been identified by Gjerlow.

The ICC has drawn international attention over arrest warrants issued for several political leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has also drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump in the past.

The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9 at 2:30 pm IST.

The Nobel Foundation stresses that being nominated does not itself represent an endorsement by the Nobel Committee.

The final choice therefore remains unknown until the Norwegian Nobel Committee announces the laureate.

- Ends