U.S.-Russian Space Cooperation: Explaining Outer Space Partnership in the Midst of Earthly Rivalry

Abstract

Literature that covers the topic of U.S.-Russian space cooperation tends to isolate it from the overall context of U.S.-Russian relations, while literature that does take the rivalrous relationship into account tends to focus primarily on non-cooperative outer space ventures. This thesis seeks to explain why cooperation between the U.S. and Russia emerged and why it has continued in spite of often negative relations on Earth. To examine this case study, I first explore the history of American and Russian/Soviet space activities, highlighting critical points of cooperation emergence, continuation, and discontinuation. After assessing the usefulness of major theories of international relations in assisting with this research question, I then examine the critical historical junctures primarily through the lenses of neoliberal institutionalism and constructivism (especially epistemic community literature) in order to determine the causes of cooperation’s emergence and maintenance. I find that the scientific community’s support for the norm of scientific cooperation in outer space, formal institutions codifying this norm, and entrenchment of this norm in the government system due to socialization, habit-formation, geopolitical interests, and perceptions of status were the main contributors to the emergence and maintenance of space cooperation between Russia and the U.S. This finding has great importance for the future of U.S.-Russian space cooperation, as they suggest its strength and likelihood of continuation. It also has great implications for the possibility of space cooperation with other emerging space powers and the private sector. This finding suggests these cases may have more difficulties in reaching a relationship that mirrors that of the U.S. and Russia in the realm of space cooperation.