he entire world watched in awe at the Moon landing, the Hubble Space Telescope launch, and when the James Webb Space Telescope went into orbit. Images from the James Webb Space Telescope were recently released and have been shared all around the world for all to enjoy—regardless of politics. No one country made these achievements possible. The Hubble was an international collaboration between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) and regularly works with other telescopes. The James Webb is the effort of NASA, ESA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Guiana Space Center. Nothing would have been accomplished if not for all these countries actively working towards a single goal together.
After the bitter Cold War, in 1998, Russia and the United States collaborated on the International Space Station (ISS)—marking an end the decades-long space race. The ISS is the encapsulation of global peaceful space cooperation. The International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement is an international treaty signed in 1998 by the 15 governments involved in the space station. It was a sign of global cooperation, longstanding peace, and a reminder that discoveries in space are for all of humankind. Astronauts from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, and members of the European Space Agency all travel to the ISS to further humanity’s efforts to understand space.
The station is run by international launch crews—sharing space vehicles as well as their global communication and data systems. The ISS also currently houses experiments to test the long-term effects on radiation and weightlessness on human health. Half of the ISS is owned and primarily operated by Russia while the other half is controlled by NASA and other countries. For the past two decades, no matter the political state of the world, this station has orbited with astronauts from across the globe working together.
Even before the ISS was launched, the world envisioned global space collaboration. In 1958, the United Nations adopted a resolution that created the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space tasked with “govern[ing] the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity: for peace, security and development.” The committee reviews what countries are doing in space, what research is being conducted, and studies legal problems that arise due to space activities.
Similarly, the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty, was adopted in 1967—specifically stating that space should “…be used exclusively for peaceful purposes…” and banning the placement of weapons of mass destruction from space. As a part of the larger Outer Space Treaty, countries attended a series of conventions and signed further treaties to ensure that space was devoid of individual state agendas. These included the Rescue Agreement, Liability Convention, Registration Convention, and the Moon Agreement.
For decades the world has worked together for space research and to further human technology, but now we are seeing the first signs that the relationship may be ending. Despite the history of promoting collective and peaceful space exploration, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Western response to the invasion threaten continued collaboration. Yuri Borisov, the new head of Russia’s space agency—ROSCOSMOS— announced that Russia will cease operations with the ISS in 2024 and end its collaboration with the other countries involved at the station. This would mean Russia would lose opportunities to collaborate on scientific experiments, potentially limiting both Russia’s ability to innovate on space related issues as well as hampering global research efforts. The ISS would also lose an important source of funding and logistical support. NASA has not announced plans for how to move forward with the section of the ISS Russia owns.
With a changing global political situation, Russia and China have essentially joined forces to create a space where their agendas are met. China has built its own space station, Tiangong, with Russia announcing plans for its own station with ROSCOSMOS. The two countries also plan of working together on their own Mars probe. There are also growing concerns that Russia and China may try to weaponize space. This can lead to a new global Cold War situation—a space race between China and Russia against the United States and its allies.
We are already seeing this occur. ESA ended its relationship with ROSCOSMOS following the invasion of Ukraine. There is also increasing pressure for the ESA to end its relationship with the Chinese Manned Space Agency and end plans for cooperation on Tiangong due to China’s alignment with ROSCOSMOS. NASA has also been banned from collaborating with China and Russia on its station or on any future programs.
Ending space collaboration limits humanity’s technological capabilities for the future, puts barriers to planned future missions, and decreases innovation in space. Russia and China are going their own way in space—an action that may have larger implications for global space cooperation. Agencies may be less willing to work together due to political or economic reasons meaning that discoveries are no longer for all mankind. What we do “up there” will impact each and every single one of us “down here.” We must not let politics and the interests of the few penetrate space and science collaboration across the world or allow it to limit the exploration of new worlds.
a global affairs media network
Preserving a Peaceful and Global Space
Photo by NASA via Unsplash.
August 14, 2022
For decades the world has worked together for space research and to further human technology, but now we're seeing the first signs that the relationship may be ending. We must not let politics and the interests of the few penetrate global space and science collaboration, writes Brennan Rose.
T
he entire world watched in awe at the Moon landing, the Hubble Space Telescope launch, and when the James Webb Space Telescope went into orbit. Images from the James Webb Space Telescope were recently released and have been shared all around the world for all to enjoy—regardless of politics. No one country made these achievements possible. The Hubble was an international collaboration between National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) and regularly works with other telescopes. The James Webb is the effort of NASA, ESA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Guiana Space Center. Nothing would have been accomplished if not for all these countries actively working towards a single goal together.
After the bitter Cold War, in 1998, Russia and the United States collaborated on the International Space Station (ISS)—marking an end the decades-long space race. The ISS is the encapsulation of global peaceful space cooperation. The International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement is an international treaty signed in 1998 by the 15 governments involved in the space station. It was a sign of global cooperation, longstanding peace, and a reminder that discoveries in space are for all of humankind. Astronauts from the United States, Russia, China, Japan, and members of the European Space Agency all travel to the ISS to further humanity’s efforts to understand space.
The station is run by international launch crews—sharing space vehicles as well as their global communication and data systems. The ISS also currently houses experiments to test the long-term effects on radiation and weightlessness on human health. Half of the ISS is owned and primarily operated by Russia while the other half is controlled by NASA and other countries. For the past two decades, no matter the political state of the world, this station has orbited with astronauts from across the globe working together.
Even before the ISS was launched, the world envisioned global space collaboration. In 1958, the United Nations adopted a resolution that created the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space tasked with “govern[ing] the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity: for peace, security and development.” The committee reviews what countries are doing in space, what research is being conducted, and studies legal problems that arise due to space activities.
Similarly, the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty, was adopted in 1967—specifically stating that space should “…be used exclusively for peaceful purposes…” and banning the placement of weapons of mass destruction from space. As a part of the larger Outer Space Treaty, countries attended a series of conventions and signed further treaties to ensure that space was devoid of individual state agendas. These included the Rescue Agreement, Liability Convention, Registration Convention, and the Moon Agreement.
For decades the world has worked together for space research and to further human technology, but now we are seeing the first signs that the relationship may be ending. Despite the history of promoting collective and peaceful space exploration, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Western response to the invasion threaten continued collaboration. Yuri Borisov, the new head of Russia’s space agency—ROSCOSMOS— announced that Russia will cease operations with the ISS in 2024 and end its collaboration with the other countries involved at the station. This would mean Russia would lose opportunities to collaborate on scientific experiments, potentially limiting both Russia’s ability to innovate on space related issues as well as hampering global research efforts. The ISS would also lose an important source of funding and logistical support. NASA has not announced plans for how to move forward with the section of the ISS Russia owns.
With a changing global political situation, Russia and China have essentially joined forces to create a space where their agendas are met. China has built its own space station, Tiangong, with Russia announcing plans for its own station with ROSCOSMOS. The two countries also plan of working together on their own Mars probe. There are also growing concerns that Russia and China may try to weaponize space. This can lead to a new global Cold War situation—a space race between China and Russia against the United States and its allies.
We are already seeing this occur. ESA ended its relationship with ROSCOSMOS following the invasion of Ukraine. There is also increasing pressure for the ESA to end its relationship with the Chinese Manned Space Agency and end plans for cooperation on Tiangong due to China’s alignment with ROSCOSMOS. NASA has also been banned from collaborating with China and Russia on its station or on any future programs.
Ending space collaboration limits humanity’s technological capabilities for the future, puts barriers to planned future missions, and decreases innovation in space. Russia and China are going their own way in space—an action that may have larger implications for global space cooperation. Agencies may be less willing to work together due to political or economic reasons meaning that discoveries are no longer for all mankind. What we do “up there” will impact each and every single one of us “down here.” We must not let politics and the interests of the few penetrate space and science collaboration across the world or allow it to limit the exploration of new worlds.
