Legal Models of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Space Research

Abstract

Given the growing interest in the exploration of outer space, the expansion of the parties to space activities and the scale of related tasks, the study of various legal models of international scientific and technical cooperation (ISTC) is gaining momentum. It is important to identify the advantages and disadvantages of such models and to develop proposals on the possibilities of their successful application in Russia. The study of the reasons for the strengthening of international collaborations in the space sphere showed that the ISTC and joint research have been carried out regardless of the political context. They were determined by the specifics of the phenomena and processes being studied and the advantages of sharing funding, forming multinational research groups and exchanging data. Currently, a special incentive is the potential for the commercialization of space and the strengthening of the state’s economy. In the field of space scientific research, the usual conventional and institutional models of ISTC are used. The peculiarity of cooperation in this area is manifested in the dominant use of conventional models. The most striking and complex example of such a model is the International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement on cooperation for peaceful purposes in line with international law, including various bilateral memoranda of understanding and other documents that have been developed in relation to the Agreement. Almost all institutional models of ISTC in the field of space research are ecosystem-type models. The only example of a collaborative type model is the European Space Agency. The risk of dependence on other states participating in collaborative projects and loss of leadership positions, a decrease in state funding for space projects, large-scale participation of private companies and priorities for their involvement in space activities indicate the upcoming transfer of most of the space research ISTC to the field of public-private partnership. As a result, interstate cooperation will continue as a short-term interaction on certain issues of space research: whether it is the installation of a certain module on a partner mission, the implementation of joint tests and observations on modules and other similar projects.