International Collaborations in Space
- 23rd Jul 2025
- Author: Ed Kellond-Turner
Every space enthusiast worth their stellar nebula has heard of the Space Race, where the USA and USSR battled it out to beat the opposing superpower to the arbitrary finish line of landing humans on the Moon. But is this all that space is? Two superpowers trying to one-up each other? Well, I'm happy to report that nowadays space is very much a team sport, and I'm here to detail some of my top collaborations in the pursuit of space exploration.
Collaboration in Europe
If we want to take a look at European collaboration in space, we first need to cast our minds back all the way to the 1960s. In response to the American and Soviet domination in spaceflight, two organisations were set up: the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), and the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO).
Unfortunately, ELDO failed to launch from the get go, with all flights of the Europa rocket (comprising of a "Blue Streak" first stage, built by Britain, a "Coralie" second stage, built by France, and the "Astris" third stage, built by Germany) ending in failure. Although I will just point out the Blue Streak first stage worked every time, but who am I to place blame?
ESRO had more success, with the launch of seven satellites from 1968 to 1972, but lack of both funding and interest threatened to kill ELDO and ESRO. In 1975, it was decided to merge the two agencies into the single agency we know and love today: the European Space Agency (ESA).
Ten countries became the founding member states, and now there are 23 countries all contributing to European interests in space.
Today, ESA is a powerhouse of spaceflight, with achievements such as the first landing on a moon other than our own, the first landing on a comet, and in the 2030s, the first orbit of a moon other than our own, if all goes to plan. But none of this would be possible without the collaboration of the 23 ESA member states, all with the common goal of putting Europe on the celestial map.
The Handshake in Space
With international tensions easing between the USA and USSR, a new era of cooperative spaceflight was about to begin. In July 1975, a Soyuz spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, and the last Apollo capsule flown was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre. Around two days later, whilst in orbit around Earth, the two craft docked together on the 17th of July as part of a mission officially known as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. This was the beginning of a partnership that would see American astronauts visit a Soviet space station, and the eventual creation of the International Space Station.
This mission wasn’t as easy as just ramming two spacecraft together and hoping they stuck. Apollo and Soyuz had different docking adapters, so a specially designed docking module had to be launched with Apollo. Not only that, but the Americans and the Soviets used different gas mixtures and air pressures. To solve this, the air pressure inside the Soyuz was reduced slightly, and Apollo matched the air in the docking airlock to that of the Soyuz.
Finally, when all was ready, the airlock door was opened and possibly the most famous handshake in history occurred between astronaut Tom Stafford and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the man who had completed the first spacewalk.
Stafford and Leonov became friends for life after this mission, with Leonov becoming the godfather of Stafford’s younger children and Stafford giving a eulogy in Russian at Leonov’s funeral.
The First British Person in Space
What would you do if you saw an advert saying "astronaut wanted, no experience required"? Well, for Helen Sharman, it was the start of a journey that would see her become the first British person in space. Beating out nearly 13,000 other applicants, Helen underwent 18 months of training before flying to the Russian Mir space station.
While up in space, Helen ran various biological experiments and investigated crystal growth in microgravity as well as chatted with British school children over amateur radio.
This premier flight of a British astronaut wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for a Soviet attempt to foster relations with countries all over the world with the Interkosmos program. Not only that, but Project Juno (Sharman's mission) was nearly cancelled before launch after British companies failed to raise enough money. Luckily, the project continued at Soviet expense, and on the 18th May, 1991, Helen Sharman became the first Briton in space.
Britain would not see another person fly under the Union Jack until 2015, when Tim Peake was carried to the International Space Station, poetically aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, just like Helen was 24 years earlier.
The International Space Station
Possibly the most important and iconic representation of collaboration between countries, the appropriately named International Space Station has been orbiting the Earth for over 25 years now, hosting nearly 300 people from 23 different countries.
The construction of the ISS was also the result of a collaborative effort from five different countries and agencies: the USA, Russia, Canada, Japan, and ESA's 23 member countries.
This iconic piece of space hardware, however, may soon come crashing back to Earth. Many of the modules are way past their sell by date, with more and more issues cropping up. Therefore, it has been suggested that the space station be deorbited around 2030, at which point NASA aim to utilise private space stations launched by commercial companies.
Orbiting Mercury Can't Be That Hard, Right?
Orbiting Mercury is absolutely that hard. In fact, it requires less energy to exit the solar system than it does to orbit Mercury when leaving from Earth. Luckily, ESA and the Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, are more than up for the challenge with BepiColombo.
This joint mission will see this spacecraft insert itself into orbit around Mercury in November 2026, after which it will split itself into three separate spacecraft: the European Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), whose mission will end upon separation, the European Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), and the Japanese Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio). After separation, MPO and Mio will act independently of each other, creating a better picture of the least explored of the inner planets.
To add a little bit of Leicester pride, one of the key scientific instruments, MIXS, was built at the University of Leicester in partnership with researchers from Germany, Spain and Finland, who also worked on another instrument for BepiColombo called SIXS.
Fun fact: in Finnish, this spelling of “mixs” actually means “why?” and “sixs” actually means “that’s why.”
James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope is possibly one of the greatest achievements in astronomy that has ever been sent to space. This telescope has allowed us to look all the way back to the very early years of the Universe, as well as studying our solar system in incredible detail. But Webb wouldn't be possible without the collaboration of NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Each agency supplied instruments, sensors, hardware, and people-power, with input from companies and institutions from all around the world. ESA also supplied a Ariane 5 launch vehicle, which performed so well it actually extended the telescope's life with an exceptionally precise trajectory, saving it precious fuel.
Again, Leicester just loves collaborating with space agencies! With Webb, it is the use of the MIRI infrared camera technology developed at the University of Leicester that has allowed scientists across the globe to search for the redshifted light of distant galaxies, newly forming stars, and faintly visible comets, as well as objects in the Kuiper Belt.
Chinese Rocks From the Moon
In the 1960s and 70s, both the USA and USSR managed to bring back samples of Moon rock to Earth, allowing scientists to get an up close and personal look at our closest neighbour. In more recent years, we've seen another space superpower match this achievement: China.
In 2020, China launched their Chang'e 5 mission, which included a lunar lander. This lander collected lunar samples by scooping from the surface and by drilling into the lunar rock, before returning them back to Earth.
Whilst the mission itself may have been completed by CNSA, China accepted international applications to receive a small portion of the 1.7kg returned sample. By small, I really do mean small. The lunar rocks loaned to researchers for the Open University in Milton Keynes weigh just 60 milligrams.
The World's Most Expensive LEO Satellite
The Indian Space Research Organisation has big plans for putting their country at the forefront of space exploration, and one way they are completing this goal is through a partnership with NASA to build the most expensive Earth-observation satellite, NISAR. The cost of the $1.5 billion satellite is shared between the two agencies, with both supplying a synthetic aperture radar and India providing the launch vehicle.
This partnership goes further, with the launch of an Indian astronaut, Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard Axiom 4 to the International Space Station, providing vital experience for when India launch their first native crewed orbital spacecraft, Gaganyaan, which is expected to take place in 2026.
Full credits / references
(Banner Image) Space centres involved with the ISS programme. Credit: public domain
(1) ESA's patch for 2025. Credit: ESA
(2) The historic handshake in space between Stafford and Leonov. Credit: NASA
(3) Helen Sharman's astronaut portrait. Credit: ESA
(4) The International Space Station in orbit. Credit: NASA
(5) Artist impression of BepiColombo above Mercury. Credit: ESA
(6) Artist impression of the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA
(7) Artist impression of Chang'e on the Moon. Credit: CNSA
(8) Artist impression of NISAR in orbit. Credit: NASA/JPL
