The US-Russia International Space Station (ISS) cooperation

The International Space Station (ISS) has played a significant role in fostering US-Russia cooperation in outer space. This cooperation marks a departure from the space race era, characterized by competition between superpowers. This shift towards safety-oriented security cooperation rather than defense/offensive approach also meant a challenge against offensive realist assumptions. The ISS occurs as a symbol of a change towards cooperation in the evolving the US-Russia relations in space. This study aims to explore the reasons behind this cooperation. The research focuses on a specific historical period, from 1984 to 1993, encompassing developments related to the ISS' declaration and Russian participation in the program. The study combines complex interdependence theory with institutionalist logic to analyze the cooperation within a practical framework (Keohane&Nye, 2012; Parsons ,2009). The institutionalist logic emphasizes institutional interactions and unexpected institutional changes resulting from past decisions (Parsons, 2009). The study also utilizes Keohane&Nye's international organization model to understand such changes during the ISS's development. The research employs qualitative methodology and process tracing to analyze the US-Russian cooperation on the ISS. The study proposes two hypotheses. The first hypothesis reveals that by providing the necessary conditions for the first process of the theoretical framework, the US-Russia ISS cooperation is a result of interdependence. The second hypothesis revealed that, by providing the necessary causality of the second process, the cooperation was realized as a result of the changes in the ISS design and regulation. Primary sources such as news reports, statements, and legal documents, and secondary sources including academic works and interviews, are used to gather data. The study also employs hoop tests to assess the validity of the hypotheses. The findings show that due to the interdependence of the two countries, Russia was included in the ISS partnership in 1993 through regulation and design changes, forming this cooperation.