Space is a new sector of international relations, however it has fostered international cooperation for years, with the first crew of the International Space Station arriving on November 2nd, 2000. This first crew consisted of a NASA astronaut, Bill Shepherd, and two Russian astronauts, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev – former enemies, now seen partnered in the new frontier of space. Modules and parts have been added to the ISS by space agencies around the world, such as NASA, Japan’s Space Agency, Europe’s Space Agency, Russia’s Space Agency, and others. The International Space Station has been exactly what it says it is, a space station for the world, a symbol of international cooperation. However, Russia and China have changed that, as they have splintered off and decided to develop their own station, separate from their previous partners. Russia has been threatening to do so since European powers began imposing sanctions and restrictions on the Kremlin. 

Not only have China and Russia agreed to develop their own station in space, but they have also agreed to collaborate on other space-related projects as well. For example, both countries wish to have an operating research station on the moon by 2035. While the United States plans to have astronauts on the moon by 2024, Russia and China plan to have a station operated by astronauts on the moon, orbiting the moon, or two stations doing both. 

Along with peaceful projects this splintering of collaboration is seen as the start of a new space race, the race to militarize space. The head of Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, said “we are heading towards [the militarization of space]”, with both China and Russia improving their satellite presence. NATO leaders themselves have also stated that space is now an “operational domain”. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency in the United States, China has over 260 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satellites in orbit. Many of these satellites are used to track and locate foreign warships. More concerningly, many nations, including America, China, and Russia, have developed and tested anti-satellite weapons. This increasing militarization of space threatens every country’s civilian and military capacities and capabilities, as anti-satellite weaponry could intentionally and/or unintentionally disrupt both. These systems consist of anything from electronic jamming weapons to missiles, but even when targeting and testing is successful the large debris field of hundreds of thousands of small materials become devastating to other satellites nearby. An issue occurred when Russia tested one of its hypersonic missiles, although it hit the intended target, the debris field it created threatened the safety of astronauts aboard the ISS. 

However, as space agreements between two of the biggest powers in the world cease, cooperation still occurs in different areas. Agencies such as the African Space Agency and Arab Space Coordination Group still exist and work together. In the Arab Space Coordination Group, there are 12 Middle Eastern Countries working together to develop satellites for environmental reasons. The issue of cooperation still stands, while many regions of the world have created multi-national space agencies, they still compete with each other not merely in the scientific sector, but also the political and economic. A major issue with many different blocs of space research groups is the overcrowding of satellites in Earth’s orbit. This makes it even more dangerous for space weaponry and makes it more difficult to launch shuttles out of Earth’s atmosphere.

What was once considered a field of cooperation between two former enemies will become yet another area of competition. This will only endanger humanity’s chance at space exploration, if more weapons are developed and tested, more debris will be created, making it harder for space flights and satellites to operate. The field of space must be an area of cooperation, no matter how high tensions are between countries, relations must stay civil, as one wrong move could destroy research, or even lives.