Date of Award

December 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Space Studies

First Advisor

Michael S. Dodge

Abstract

The need for a more robust and formalized international cooperation framework has grown from the technological and political developments of both State and commercial actors in the space domain. Existing treaties, such as the Outer Space Treaty, have established norms for space activities, and recent agreements, like the Artemis Accords, have advanced additional innovative principles. Despite this progress, these agreements fall short of offering organizational structures for cooperation and methods for legal enforcement. Growing geopolitical competition has led to the formation of new models for China’s and Russia’s cooperation with other States in space, which include the International Lunar Research Station Collaboration Organization (ILRSCO) and Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO). Such developments have contributed to this study focusing on a similar system for more democratic and free States. This dissertation proposes the establishment of a Space Treaty Organization (STO), modeled on existing treaty-based intergovernmental organizations, to institutionalize and operationalize cooperation among like-minded spacefaring States.

This study evaluates existing treaty-based organizational and legal structures, such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), European Space Agency (ESA), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the International Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement (ISS IGA), using classical liberal international relations theory, organizational theory, and the International Legal Process as theoretical foundations. Modern multilateral regime frameworks, such as the Artemis Accords and ILRSCO, are also analyzed using these concepts. Taking a qualitative methods approach, the research design includes coding and audit trails of legal and policy documents and interviews with a range of space policy experts, and analysis of treaty documents using the International Legal Process, which together identifies key legal and organizational characteristics for the creation of a STO.

The study found intriguing results from the analysis but was inconclusive in determining if a limited STO framework was the best model for a future multilateral treaty regime. Beyond these findings, the author recommends a STO framework that includes a binding legal structure and an organizational model that operationalizes cooperation in exploration and economic development, while allowing for security cooperation to be more informal, potentially derisking further militarization of the domain. The study suggests that future research be conducted to answer the original proposed hypothesis, and if the recommended framework would be effective or accepted among lawmakers and policymakers. The field of scholarship in space policy and international relations should continue to seek answers to determine how a well-designed STO could strengthen U.S. and allied interests, mitigate conflict, and provide a foundation for cooperative space development and security in a multipolar world.

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