Russia's vision for a great power rivalry in space

Abstract

Space is once again an arena of global competition and rivalry, but now more actors and technologies affecting the dynamics. Russia remains a relevant, yet relatively declining space power, eager to preserve both status and capabilities. Space domain is seen as both an opportunity and a threat, and both technological and political efforts are being invested to shape the environment so it will be favorable for Russian interests. However, the interests themselves are defined rather vaguely, yet the threats are seen as immediate, thus some overreaction is a real possibility. The actual and possible developments in the area are researched, and some solutions to keep things manageable are proposed. Moreover, relations of space domain with other major topics, including Strategic Offensive Arms, Missile Defense and Cyber/Electronic Warfare are addressed.