Russia's “Space” Diplomacy: Why We Should Look Back to the Soviet Years

Abstract

The current war in Ukraine has raised with particular acuteness the question of science diplomacy, its capabilities and limits. Historical precedents of international relations in space from the perspective of techno-scientific cooperation and competition can be studied to derive precious experience. This article focuses on two major issues. The first one is Soviet science diplomacy in space during the Cold War. Particular attention is paid to the definition of the concept of “space” by the humanities in general and in particular by the historians of the Cold War. Secondly, based on my experience at the Warsaw Science Diplomacy School 2021, I draw conclusions about the challenges of teaching historical case studies to future specialists in the domain of science diplomacy.