Engineering cooperation: How Americans and Russians manage joint operation of the International Space Station

Abstract

The 1990s agreements that created the International Space Station (ISS) described the effort as a partnership of equals, a joint venture between organizations that remained independent in terms of many procedures, norms, goals, and the assumptions underlying these factors. As a result, successful joint ISS operations required the participants, most notably the American and Russian space programs, to reconcile different procedures, norms, and training regimes, as well as the beliefs that underlie these practices. Drawing on a combination of operational experience, first-hand observation, and interviews, this paper focuses on how the two programs reduced conflict and engendered cooperation. It also uses the ISS experience to consider how future joint efforts can be designed to minimize conflict between international partners.