THE OUTER SPACE AS A DOMAIN OF COMPETITION AND COOPERATION FROM THE COLD WAR TO TODAY

2023-9
Tetik, Bilgesu
In the 20th century, breakthroughs in technology and science enabled remarkable space exploration. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite, in 1957,signaling the beginning of a new phase called the Space Age. The dominant view during the Cold War era was to view space activities from a military perspective, while seeking arms control at the international level. In the end, it turned out to be a geopolitical competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. With the advent of neoliberal economic policies in the 1980s and the end of the Cold War, space became commercialized. Investment in the space sector expanded beyond states to include private companies and other developed and developing countries. As a result, a multipolar space industry began to emerge. Since the early 2000s, Russia and China have challenged the United States' efforts to establish a unipolar world order, leading to geopolitical confrontations that extended into space. The United States launched the Artemis program in 2017, with the goal of fostering international cooperation during its development. Through the use of Artemis agreements, the United States sought to enforce its policies by forcing participating states to adhere to its guidelines. This thesis examines how space exploration has evolved and progressed from the Cold War to the present. It also examines how global competitive dynamics are shaping space policy in the 21st century. It suggests that competition in space is likely to increase.
Citation Formats
B. Tetik, “THE OUTER SPACE AS A DOMAIN OF COMPETITION AND COOPERATION FROM THE COLD WAR TO TODAY,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2023.