# Global Power Dynamics in the Contemporary Space System
## 4 System Actors--Space Powers
### Major Space Actors
#### 4.2.3 The Russian Federation  
The Soviet Union has historically been a leader in the field of space exploration. During the Cold War of the 20 th century, it was one of the two primary contenders in the so-called \"space race\". Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Russian Federation assumed control of the Soviet space program, maintaining outer space as a strategic sector.  
In the 1990s, during the transition of the former Soviet Union to the Russian Federation, the government of [PERSON] opted to collaborate with the United States in the domain of space exploration. This partnership was initiated through the Shuttle-Mir program, which ran from 1994 to 1998, and was subsequently followed by the construction of the International Space Station in 1998.  
Since his rise to the presidency of the Russian Federation in December 1999, [PERSON] has identified the domain of space as a critical sector for the restoration of Russia's power and pride. A series of pivotal decisions have contributed to the revitalization of the space industry. These pivotal decisions included the institutional reorganization of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency in 1999, the establishment of ROSCOSMOS as the nation's singular and centralized space agency in 2004, and the re-establishment of the Russian Space Forces in August 2015.  
The establishment of a comprehensive, long-term strategic plan for space development was initiated in 2005. [PERSON]'s space policy plans began with the First Federal Space Program (2006-2015) and continued with the New Russian Federal Space Program (2016-2025) also known as FKP-2025. The FKP-2025 is a long-term roadmap that includes ambitious plans, such as the construction of a giant superheavy rocket that would enable Russia to land its cosmonauts on the Moon by the end of the 2020s and begin building a permanent base there. The Moon landing is regarded as the strategic objective of Russian manned space flight, with a proposed launch date of 2030.  
However, these ambitious programs have encountered substantial reductions in funding due to geopolitical tensions in Crimea and Ukraine, as well as the economic sanctions imposed by Western countries. Since 2014, the space program has undergone a shift in its strategic direction, characterized by a decline in innovation and an increased emphasis on military application. Russia prioritized its military space activities and retained the manned spaceflight and space exploration missions only to maintain its international status as a space power [48]. In the aftermath of the Ukraine war, Russia has severed commercial ties with Western countries, incurring substantial losses due to the expulsion of the Soyuz rocket from the global launch market and the termination of projects such as the ExoMars rover [49].  
In the context of the rising tensions between Russia and Western countries, there has been a consideration of Russia's potential withdrawal from the International Space Station (ISS), concurrent with efforts to fortify its relationship with China. In 2022, Russia announced its plans to construct its own space station, the Russian Orbital Service Station (ROSS), which is scheduled to commence construction in 2027 [50].