Space for diplomacy

Express Tribune

02-03-2025

The writer is an independent research and policy analyst with keen interest in strategic dimension of nuclear and space technologies. She can be reached out via LinkedIn
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Diplomacy is the art of navigating international relations to achieve national interests. Traditionally conducted via trade, culture, science & technology; diplomacy has now added 'Space' as a newer but novel area in diplomatic fashions. Hague Journal of Diplomacy defines space diplomacy as a "practice of using space to maneuver foreign affairs".
Space diplomacy has enabled countries to collaborate on monumental projects, such as the first human flight to space, docking on the moon, and harnessing space technology to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday, February 28 that Pakistan will soon send a Pakistani khalanaward (astronaut) to China's space station.
This development followed by Pakistan's proclamation that Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) will launch the Lunar Rover in 2028 as a part of Chang'e-8 lunar mission.
Pakistan began its journey of space diplomacy in 1960s by commencing a research project with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States. Under this research project, Pakistani scientists were trained by NASA to obtain accurate atmospheric observations & wind dynamics of Somiani Rocket Range and share data with NASA for space experiments.
The joint effort led Pakistan to become the third country in Asia to send a sounding rocket into space Rehbar-I in June 1962. This progress was furthered by consecutive launches of 200 sounding rockets and 24 flights of the Rehbar series during 1960-1970. In 1973, the Apollo 17 astronauts visited Karachi post-Lunar Mission and presented Moon Rock to the country as a souvenir. That gesture symbolised how space exploration fosters diplomacy and friendships.
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), in this regard, also stands as a historical example that demonstrated the power of diplomacy, even amidst intense rivalry between the US and the now-defunct Soviet Union during Cold War. A book by Andrew L Jenks, Collaboration in Space and Search for Peace on Earth, explored the contours of diplomacy in space noting that ASTP was a feat of transnational scientific endeavour and a manifestation of successful space diplomacy, culminating in a détente.
The legacy of these early aspirations continuing to influence contemporary space diplomacy and International Space Station (ISS) is one such example. Launched in 1998, with five principal space agencies i.e. NASA, ROSCOSMOS, CSA, JAXA, and 15 participating countries of the European Space Agency (ESA); the ISS accomplished best human and technological attributes, reflecting the foundation of cooperation over competition.
Albeit, the absence of China from the ISS is a glaring caveat to the equation of global alliance in space. The Wolf Amendment explicitly refrained NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) from using government funds to pursue bilateral projects with China. Interestingly, the ISS is set to be decommissioned in the next 10 years. Thereafter, the Chinese space station 'Tiangong' may become the sole space station.
In an article published on 20th February in The New York Times, former deputy assistant secretary Eric Jacobstein criticised the harsh policies of President Trump considering 'An Opening for China, Made in America'.
In 2000 ESA and China National Space Administration (CNSA) confederated to launch complementary satellites analysing Earth's surface-atmosphere. The Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) was instituted in 2005 creating a space bloc that includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Mongolia, Peru, Thailand and Turkey. Notably, new space blocs like the African Space Agency with 55 member countries; the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency along with Arab Space Coordination Group, allow nations to expand space capabilities by sharing resource pools, exchanging research findings and building a sustainable technology-driven livelihood.
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) is another instance of space diplomacy. The project is led by CNSA and Roscosmos, with partner countries such as Pakistan, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, South Africa, Belarus and Egypt to assist in lunar research, exploration and technology verification. The United Nations Space Agenda 2030 reiterated international cooperation under the ambit of Space Diplomacy.
The United States also unveiled its Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy on May 30, 2023, encouraging partnerships on projects like James Webb Space Telescope and NASA's Artemis missions.
Additionally, Pakistan continued substantial progress in space diplomacy adhering to the country's first-ever National Space Policy which aims to embrace a new era of international space exploration, particularly with China, as part of Space Vision 2047.
In the 58th Session of the Scientific & Technical Subcommittee (STSC) of the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Pakistan maintained its alignment with the statement by Group of 77 which reads that immense potential of space technologies can only be attained by an inclusive approach ensuring their access to developing countries as well.
While space offers opportunities to amplify socio-economic developments, concerns raised about space weaponisation are a note of caution that ought to be taken seriously. Indian Anti-Satellite Test (ASAT) in 2019 posed a direct threat to the ISS. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said it was a "terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris above the station" and "not acceptable" to put astronauts at risk.
Employing space diplomacy as a means to prevent such ambitions and rather as a platform for all nations to collaborate, share knowledge and pursue common objectives is inevitable. As the commercial and strategic value of space continues to grow, countries like Pakistan must amplify their involvement in space diplomacy by providing a conducive environment for joint research, scientific collaboration and policy enactments.
Pakistan can offer its unique topography for space experiments as the US geologists found Balochistan's environment akin to Mars on Earth. Pakistan must share its experience of satellite manufacturing with brother countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan. The future of space diplomacy holds the promise of uniting nations in the pursuit of a shared frontier, fostering peace and ensuring the sustainable use of outer space for the benefit of all humanity beyond the dimensions of mighty Earth.