Description
Despite increasing distrust between the US and Russia in the last few years, evidenced through the withdrawal from key bilateral agreements, the International Space Station (ISS) continues to be one such agreement that stands the test of this spiralling relationship. In this paper, we seek to understand why the ISS continues to act as a “site of trust” between the two space actors as their terrestrial cooperation links disintegrate. To do so, we draw on interdisciplinary literature on trust. To begin, we review the historical context for understanding the ISS in the contemporary period, discussing its role in US-Russia relations before focusing on the ISS in the period 2011-2023. Methodologically, we draw on a range of discursive materials to argue that the ISS acted, and continues to act, as a "site of trust" between the two states.
