Geopolitical Ramifications of India-Space Cooperation: Challenges and Responses from China’s Space Strategy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62843/jssr.v5i2.548Keywords:
India-Russia Space Cooperation, China’s Space Strategy, Strategic Alliances, Indo-Pacific Security, Space Rivalry in Asia, Asian Security, Space DiplomacyAbstract
This article explores the growing space cooperation between India and Russia and its broader geopolitical impact, particularly in relation to China’s regional ambitions. In the changing landscape of global power politics, space has become a strategic domain where nation seeks technological dominance and strategic advantage. India’s renewed partnership with Russia reflects a calculated move to enhance its space capabilities and counterbalance China’s expanding space influence. Using the theoretical lens of Realism and the Balance of power,this study examines how India-Russia collaboration strengthens multipolarity in space governance and challenges China’s leadership in the Indo-Pacific. The article further analyses China’s strategic responses, including military modernization, regional space alliances, and diplomatic outreach to maintain its position. By investigating this triangular space dynamics, the article highlights how outer space is becoming a critical arena of geopolitical competition, where alliances and rivalries are reshaping both terrestrial and extraterrestrial order.
References
Axelrod, R., & Keohane, R. O. (1985). Archieving cooperation under anarchy: Strategies and institutions.
Global Times. (2023). China, Russia to build nuclear-powered Moon base by 2035. https://global time.cn
Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO). (2030). Gaganyaan mission overview. http://www.isro .gov.in
Kapoor, N. (2024). Sino-Russian alignment and the Indo-Pacific space race. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 15(2), 102–118.
Keohane, R. O., & Nye J.S (1977). Power and interdependence: World politics in transition. Boston: Little, Brown.
Ministry of External Affairs, India. (2023). India-Russia space cooperation briefing paper. http://mea.gov.in
Pareek, A., & Gubin, A. (2021) India—Russia space cooperation: Away forward. Takshashila Institution Discussion Paper. https://takshashila.org.in
Press Trust of India. (2019). ISRO signs deal with Russia for astronaut training for Gaganyaan mission. Published via NDTV. Retrieved from http://ndtv.com
ROSCOSMOS. (2023). China-Russia strategic space projects. Retrieved from http://en.roscosmos.ru
World Politics, 38(1), 226-254. https://doi.org/10.2307/2010357
Zakharov, A. (2019). The geopolitical of the Us-India-Russia strategic triangle. Strategic Analysis, 43(5), 422–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/09700161.2019.1652978
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Copyright in the Journal of Social Sciences Review is retained by the author(s). Authors also grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
SSR's Editorial Board shares the vision of providing free access to information, education, and science for everyone, thus promoting its content through an OPEN ACCESS POLICY, fulfilling the DOAJ definition of open access. The JSSR adheres to an Open Access and Copyright Licensing Policy based on the belief that making research freely accessible to the public promotes greater global knowledge sharing.
The JSSR uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. The authors who apply and publish in JSSR consent to abide by the copyright policy set out in the Creative Commons 4.0 license (Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license).
- Copyright in the Journal of Social Sciences Review is retained by the author(s).
- Authors also grant any third party the right to use the article freely as long as its integrity is maintained and its original authors, citation details and publisher are identified.
While "By 'open access' to this literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself."
