U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Space
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U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Space April 1995 OTA-ISS-618 GPO stock #052-003-01410-6 Photo Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Space, OTA-ISS-618 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1995). oreword he recent broad political rapprochement between the United States and the nations of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) has transformed the en- vironment for cooperation on space projects, and led to cooperative programs in space with Russia and other FSU states that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Chief among these are the high-profile human spaceflight cooperative activities involving the Space Shuttle-Space Station Mir dockings and the International Space Station. This report surveys the potential benefits and drawbacks of expanded coop- eration with Russia and other nations of the FSU in space activities, and ex- amines the impacts of closer cooperation on U.S. industry and U.S. national security concerns. Such cooperation has begun to yield scientific, technologi- cal, political, and economic benefits to the United States. However, the politi- cal and economic risks of cooperating with the Russians are higher than with the United States’ traditional partners in space. Cooperation in robotic space science and earth remote sensing is proceeding well, within the stringent limits of current Russian (and U.S.) space budgets. Including Russia in the Interna- tional Space Station program provides technical and political benefits to the space station partners, but placing the Russian contribution in the critical path to completion also poses programmatic and political risks. The report notes that much of the motivation for the expansion of coopera- tion with Russia lies beyond programmatic considerations. In particular, it points out that continued cooperation, including large payments for Russian space goods and services, may help stabilize Russia’s economy and provide incentive for some of Russia’s technological elite to stay in Russia and contrib- ute to peaceful activities in space. Lack of opportunities at home might other- wise cause them to seek employment abroad where their skills might contrib- ute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Finally, the report assesses the pros and cons of expanded commercial ties, their impact on the U.S. space industrial base, and on aerospace employment. In undertaking this effort, OTA sought the contributions of a wide spectrum of knowledgeable individuals and organizations. Some provided information; others reviewed drafts. OTA gratefully acknowledges their contributions of time and intellectual effort. ROGER C. HERDMAN Director iii orkshop Issues in U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Space November 9, 1994 Kenneth S. Pedersen Wesley Huntress Charles H. Lloyd Chairman Associate Administrator for Space President Research Professor of Science LKE International International Affairs National Aeronautics and Space Georgetown University Administration John Logsdon Director Alain Dupas Nicholas L. Johnson Space Policy Institute Advisor to the President Principal Scientist George Washington University CNES Kaman Science Corporation Jeffrey Manber Lewis R. Franklin Charles F. Kennel Managing Director International Security Consultant Associate Administrator American Operations Mission to Planet Earth NPO Energia Ltd. Louis Friedman National Aeronautics and Space Administration Executive Director Marcia Smith The Planetary Society Specialist in Aerospace Policy E. William Land, Jr. Library of Congress James W. Head, III Principal ANSER James Manning Professor Judyth Twigg Brown University Instructor Grant Lichtman Virginia Commonwealth Carolyn L. Huntoon Director University WorldMap International, Ltd. Director NASA Johnson Space Center Note: OTA appreciates and is grateful for the valuable assistance and thoughtful critiques provided by the workshop participants. The participants do not, however, necessarily approve, disapprove, or endorse this report. OTA assumes full responsibility for the report and the accuracy of its contents. iv roject Staff Peter Blair CONTRACTORS Assistant Director, OTA Cynthia Allen Energy, Materials and Madeline Gross International Security Division Alan Shaw ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Director Jacqueline R. Boykin International Security and Space Program Don Gallagher N. Ellis Lewis Ray Williamson Project Director Peter Smith1 Mark Suskin ________________ 1On detail from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. v cknowledgments This report has benefited from the advice of many individuals. In addition to members of the workshop, the Office of Technology Assessment especially would like to thank the following indi- viduals for their assistance and support. The views expressed in this paper, however, are the sole re- sponsibility of OTA. Paul Bowersox Marc Constantine P. Diane Rausch Department of Political Science Aerojet Corporation Space Flight Division University of Colorado Office of External Relations Charles T. Force National Aeronautics and Space Kent Bress Office of Space Communications Administration Space Flight Division National Aeronautics and Space Office of External Relations Administration Lisa Shaffer National Aeronautics and Space Mission to Planet Earth Division Administration Joseph P. Loftus Office of External Relations Johnson Space Center National Aeronautics and Space Elizabeth Carter National Aeronautics and Space Administration International Relations Division Administration Office of External Relations National Aeronautics and Space Patricia Maliga The project staff would also like to Administration Space Flight Division thank the following OTA staff for Office of External Relations their review of the drafts of this Leslie Charles National Aeronautics and Space report. Mission to Planet Earth Division Administration Office of External Relations Richard Brody National Aeronautics and Space J. Donald Miller Anthony Fainberg Administration International Relations Division Office of External Relations S. Yousef Hashimi Lynn F. H. Cline National Aeronautics and Space Tom Karas Space Flight Division Administration Office of External Relations National Aeronautics and Space Administration vi ontents Executive Summary 1 Foreign Policy Benefits and Risks 2 Other Benefits and Risks 2 Commercial Cooperation 3 Russia, Third Parties, and the United States 3 Domestic Economic Impact 3 1 Introduction and Findings 5 Introduction 5 Findings 7 2 History and Current Status of the Russian Space Program 25 The Soviet Space Program 25 The Russian Space Program 27 3 The Cooperative Experience to Date 41 Public Sector 41 Private Sector 56 Toward Normalization 60 4 Other Countries’ Space Cooperation with Russia 61 Other Countries’ Experience 61 Effects of U.S.-Russian Pacts on Other U.S. Partnerships 64 5 Opportunities for and Impediments to Expanded Cooperation 67 Potential for Expanded Cooperation 67 Risks and Risk Management 71 The Role of Government 75 vii 6 Domestic Impact and Proliferation Concerns 79 Introduction 79 Domestic Impact 80 Proliferation Concerns 82 APPENDICES A 1992 and Subsequent U.S.-U.S.S.R. Space Agreements 85 B Public Sector U.S.-Russian Cooperative Projects 103 C Private Sector U.S.-Russian Cooperative Projects 115 D Space Cooperation with the Soviet Union (Russia): A French Point of View 120 INDEX 125 viii xecutive Summary he end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the changing world order have provided new opportu- nities and new incentives for the United States and other countries to cooperate with Russia in space science, space applications, and human spaceflight. Although U.S. attempts to cooperate on space activities with the Soviet Union began more than 30 years ago, intense political and military competition be- tween the two countries severely limited the scope and duration of such activities. Today, the United States government is actively pursuing cooperation with Russia on a wide range of space activi- ties, including the International Space Station. In addition, U.S. aerospace firms have entered into joint ventures, licensing agree- ments, and cooperative technical agreements with a variety of newly organized Russian counterparts. The emergence of Russia as a major cooperative partner for the United States and other spacefaring nations offers the potential for a significant increase in the world’s collective space capabili- ties. Expanding U.S.-Russian cooperation in space since 1991 has begun to return scientific, technological, political, and eco- nomic benefits to the United States. Yet, Russia is experiencing severe economic hardship and its space program has undergone major structural changes. The future success of U.S.-Russian cooperative projects in space will depend on: G successful management of complex, large-scale bilateral and multilateral cooperative projects; G progress in stabilizing Russia’s political and economic institu- tions; G preservation of the viability of Russian space enterprises; G flexibility in managing cultural and institutional differences; |1 2 | U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Space G continued Russian adherence to missile- OTHER BENEFITS AND RISKS technology-proliferation controls; and NASA is exploring cooperative space research G additional progress in liberalizing U.S. and and development with Russia in virtually every Russian laws and regulations in export control, programmatic area. Aside from the space station, customs,