International Cooperation and Space Governance Strategy

The National Space Policy and posture reviews of the Obama Administration place much greater emphasis on international cooperation than did the George W. Bush Administration. ¹ So far, though, the new administration has not articulated a coherent and compelling strategic concept to guide its pursuit of space cooperation. Department of Defense (DOD) officials have argued that the United States needs more informal cooperation because space is increasingly “congested,” “competitive,” and “contested.” ² State Department officials have used more diplomatic terms, saying that space is not only “congested,” but also “multifaceted” and “interdependent.” ³ Each phrase reflects a different, somewhat contradictory way of defining the problem that space cooperation could help solve. Each also puts conceptual limits on the kinds of cooperation deemed worthy of serious U.S. consideration in ways that reduce the likelihood of international agreement on measures that would advance the administration’s main policy objectives in space and its overall national security strategy.