Cooperation between nations in carrying out space missions has been a central feature of space activities since the launch of the first satellites. In fact, the launch of the first satellite by the Soviet Union, Sputnik 1, in October 1957 and of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, in January 1958 were carried out as part of a sixty-nation international program of scientific cooperation called the International Geophysical Year. In the years since, most robotic space missions carried out by any one country have included some form of cooperative participation by other countries. In particular, scientists are comfortable working on an international basis, and most space science missions involve international cooperation of some sort.

U.S. mission specialist C. Michael Foale (left) and Claude Nicollier, a European Space Agency astronaut, participate in the second of three space walks to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

Cold War Era Competition and Cooperation