Vladimir Putin appeared on Russian state television in Feb. 2022 to announce a “special military operation” in Eastern Ukraine. What followed next sent chills down the spines of the world as Russian troops crossed the border and airstrikes began pummeling Kyiv.
As a barrage of sanctions was unleashed, Russian and American cooperation on the International Space Station, the product of decades of meticulous diplomacy, was placed in a state of grave jeopardy.
Over the past 50 years, a unique relationship has developed between the two superpowers created by Nixon’s foreign policy goal of détente (easing of hostilities). This resulted in the Apollo-Soyuz mission, the first joint mission between the nations, and Russia being brought on to the ISS project due to budget cuts and to prevent Russian scientists from defecting to rogue nations.
For much of its early existence, the ISS served as the only permanent human outpost in space, insulated from the geopolitics on Earth. All this changed in 2014 after the invasion of Crimea, when Russia threatened to pull out of the station due to sanctions. Even though Russia backed down, a similar situation repeated itself in 2022.
After the outbreak of war, NASA and its international partners attempted to continue operating the station normally. However, Dimitry Rozogin, the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, threatened to end collaboration on the station in response to sanctions placed on the Russian aerospace industry. Rozogin even floated leaving an American astronaut (who had previously been flown up on a Soyuz mission) stranded in space. During this time, panic set in at NASA as Lockheed Martin was directed to design plans to replace the maneuvering module found on the Russian segment and Elon Musk tweeted SpaceX would stand by at the ready to aid NASA.
Unfortunately, this special relationship between the nations is currently in a state of great peril. At the end of 2024, Russia is set to leave the ISS, create its own space station, and deepen relations with China. To fill the void, the US plans to expand the footprint of private companies on the station, and eventually, let it burn up in the atmosphere at the end of the decade.
Post-ISS, the US is pursuing the Artemis Accords, an agreement between thirty-three nations to work together in exploring deep space and creating a permanent presence in low lunar orbit. Yet one signatory is most notably missing: Russia.
Even though the United States must not disregard the senseless violence the Russian Federation has caused in Ukraine, both for Ukrainians and Russians alike, the US should seek some level of cooperation with Russia. Space has always been a medium for diplomacy and a valuable tool for “cooling” the geopolitical situation on Earth. Now, at a time when the legacy of the Cold War is stronger than ever, there is no better time than now to begin cooling them. Given the unforgiving nature of space, cooperation is inherent to the environment. Thus, a great level of trust is established between nations, setting in motion two valuable effects.
The first is the value of technology sharing. Even though there is concern surrounding the possibility of aerospace secrets getting out, proper methods to compartmentalize technical information will prevent intelligence leaks. Therefore, by safely sharing technology developed for these missions such as more efficient batteries, 3D printing, and medicine, the impact can be immense for the citizens of both nations. It is for this reason Russia may be willing to work with the US again, as Russia stands to gain much more from us than China whose space program lags behind other nations.
The second effect is the cliché yet accurate principle of “keeping your friends close and your rivals closer.” By interacting and collaborating with Russia, the U.S. and much of the international community will have a presence within Russia; deterring them from taking drastic action.
If the U.S. were to be able to foster a closer relationship with Russia, one built of mutual respect instead of condemnation, the ongoing war in Ukraine would have a greater chance of reaching a peaceful resolution. Even though Russia and the U.S. may never be strong allies, they will likely be more comfortable with coexisting.
With a thriving and growing middle class, Russians have fallen in love with American brands from Apple to Coca-Cola. In the wake of these companies pulling out of Russia, multiple copycats have been spawned with brands such as Starbucks being replaced with “Starducks”. Therefore, Russia can be a promising growth market for American companies to target if our nations are ever able to restore more amicable relations. Not to mention, one of the main lessons of the pandemic was the importance of supply chain diversity.
When China sealed itself off from the world, it created global shortages of medical equipment and eventually computer components. With a populace that has experience in technical occupations, investment in Russian manufacturing plants could yield promising results. In the future, if Russian leaders attempted to alienate the United States, American businesses would leave and with them, their constituent’s jobs.
With the conflict in Ukraine resulting in basic commodities such as food and energy becoming scarce, the Russian economy is facing a 7.5% inflation rate, far outpacing wage growth. When combined with more than 315,000 troops being killed, each day the conflict persists it becomes more unsustainable. Therefore, Putin will have to accept defeat or risk the collapse of the Russian economy. When this occurs, it is in the best interest of the United States to extend an olive branch or risk Russia deepening its relationship with China.
Cooperation in Space is one of the most valuable forms of diplomacy as it inherently fosters a deeper partnership between nations. When nations become more intertwined, even if they are ideologically opposed to one another, it reduces the chances of global conflict. Therefore, if we truly want to cool global tensions, then bringing Russia into the Artemis Accords would be the perfect pathway to do so.
