To Infinity and Beyond? the Future of U.S.-Russia Cooperation in Space
To Infinity and Beyond? The Future of U.S.-Russia Cooperation in Space
Arman Arkelyan, John McClure, Robert Schur, Elena Sidorova
“More than by any other imaginative concept, the mind of man is aroused by the thought of exploring the mysteries of outer space. Through such exploration, man hopes to broaden his horizons, add to his knowledge, improve his way of living on earth.[1]”
President Dwight Eisenhower, 20 June 1958
Reset and Space Exploration
Space exploration represents a multifaceted endeavor and a “grand challenge” of the 21st century. The political agendas of a growing number of nations refer to space exploration as to the main evidence of technological advancement of the whole mankind and frame it as an international cooperative adventure. While the recent Reset between the United States and Russia launched by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev makes provisions for various areas of agreement and collaboration between the two countries, the plan neglects space exploration, a historically important pursuit for both countries that has recently faded from domestic and diplomatic agendas. Nonetheless, space exploration merits pursuit not only for the scientific and adventure value that it can provide to the mankind, but also for its potential to foster cooperative and mutually beneficial relations between countries. The United States and Russia are particularly well-suited to such collaborative outer space projects because of their historically leading positions in space exploration and because of the recent efforts to reinvigorate diplomatic ties between the countries. Given each country’s vast stables of distinct space technologies, collaboration in future space ventures could prove fruitful not only to both countries’ scientific knowledge, but also to that of mankind at large.[2] In response to the lackluster
Arman Arkelyan, John McClure, Robert Schur, Elena Sidorova
“More than by any other imaginative concept, the mind of man is aroused by the thought of exploring the mysteries of outer space. Through such exploration, man hopes to broaden his horizons, add to his knowledge, improve his way of living on earth.[1]”
President Dwight Eisenhower, 20 June 1958
Reset and Space Exploration
Space exploration represents a multifaceted endeavor and a “grand challenge” of the 21st century. The political agendas of a growing number of nations refer to space exploration as to the main evidence of technological advancement of the whole mankind and frame it as an international cooperative adventure. While the recent Reset between the United States and Russia launched by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev makes provisions for various areas of agreement and collaboration between the two countries, the plan neglects space exploration, a historically important pursuit for both countries that has recently faded from domestic and diplomatic agendas. Nonetheless, space exploration merits pursuit not only for the scientific and adventure value that it can provide to the mankind, but also for its potential to foster cooperative and mutually beneficial relations between countries. The United States and Russia are particularly well-suited to such collaborative outer space projects because of their historically leading positions in space exploration and because of the recent efforts to reinvigorate diplomatic ties between the countries. Given each country’s vast stables of distinct space technologies, collaboration in future space ventures could prove fruitful not only to both countries’ scientific knowledge, but also to that of mankind at large.[2] In response to the lackluster