The Ambiguity of the Russian Measures in Outer Space

Abstract: Outer Space has been a contested domain since the Cold War but in the past few decades with the advancement of technology, it has become even more desirable. Outer space has become extremely important in our everyday lives from satellite telecommunications, television broadcasting, weather forecasting, and navigation. The many uses of satellites can also trigger a dual use for military purposes and the weaponization of outer space. In the field of militarization and weaponization of outer space, there is not a significant set of agreements, except for the Outer Space Treaty (1967). This thesis is exploring the Russian behavior in the scope of their judicial and practical decisions in the militarization and weaponization of outer space. Their judicial decisions are analyzed with the balance of power theory since it better explains why Russia maintains a collaborative and diplomatic behavior in this domain. Their practical behavior is analyzed using offensive realism to better understand why they had developed aggressive behavior and chose to develop weapons in the field of outer space.