More-than-Human Space Diplomacy: Assembling Internationalism in Orbit

Abstract

Summary This article explores the role of materiality in space diplomacy through the example of orbital docking technology by tracing its evolution from the early days of the space age to the International Space Station — and beyond. Drawing on the use of assemblage theory in political geography, this article argues for a ‘more-than-human’ approach to space diplomacy to supplement and provide an alternative to conventional approaches to diplomacy studies. By conceptualising the International Space Station as a diplomatic assemblage with which the multinational partners become enmeshed, we investigate how materials, specifically androgynous orbital docking technology, fostered co-operation and peace in the wake of the Cold War and which continues today.

Evolution of techno-nationalism: The role of the space factor

“…The administration of B. Clinton was guided by the same goal of deterrence when initiating the joint American-Russian project "Shuttle-Mir" in the mid-1990s (Stewart & Dittmer, 2023). The many tools of techno-diplomacy that were created during the Cold War to counter the Soviet threat have been reimagined and strengthened to meet the new challenges of the proliferation of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons among rogue states in this club, as well as the emergence of China as https://www.hst-journal.com Історія науки і техніки, 2023, том 13, випуск 2 History of science and technology, 2023, vol.…”