Libra states : great power balancing in outer space

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has resulted in a marked escalation in tensions between Russia and the United States (US) alongside its allies within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Notably, these tensions have extended to the activities of both parties in outer space. This thesis analyses US and Russian behaviour in outer space via the case studies of GNSS interreference and Starlink support for Ukraine. When undertaking this analysis I incorporate international law as a proxy for both the legitimacy and probability of a military response absent some external factor. Utilising Hedley Bull's conception of Great Power Management and Waltz's view of the Balance of Power, I situate these cases within the concept of adversarial balancing. Through this analysis I find that Russia and the United States treat outer space as another venue for balancing and managing conflict. This demonstrates that outer space has moved beyond a sui generis domain into a vector for great power contestation and co-operation.