Peaceful Space: Aspirations and Reality The idea of using space exclusively for peaceful purposes is one of the most noble concepts of the 20th century. It emerged in the midst of the Cold War as a reaction to the horror of nuclear confrontation and the fear of the militarization of the new environment. However, over seven decades of the space era, aspirations for a peaceful space have constantly clashed with the harsh geopolitical reality, giving rise to a unique symbiosis of cooperation and competition. Aspirations: Legal Foundation and Great Dreams The foundation of a peaceful space is international treaties. The cornerstone is the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Its key provisions directly prohibit: The placement of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit around the Earth, on the Moon, or any other celestial body. The proclamation of national sovereignty over space, the Moon, and other planets (the principle of "the common heritage of mankind"). The use of the Moon and other celestial bodies exclusively for peaceful purposes. These principles were developed in subsequent agreements: the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts (1968), the Convention on International Liability (1972), and, especially important, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (1972), which, although a bilateral American-Soviet document, for decades deterred the expansion of offensive systems in space. The embodiment of aspirations was the International Space Station (ISS) project – an unprecedented example of cooperation between former adversaries. Here, technologies and scientific data from the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada became a common heritage. The system of interdependence (for example, American modules depend on Russian thrust for orbit correction, while Russian modules depend on American power supply) became an engineering guarantee of cooperation. Reality: Militarization as Inevitability The paradox of the space era is that the most peaceful tool ... Read more