International Cooperation Model

The ISS may be the most successful international collaboration in history. Modules were built in the US, Russia, Japan, Europe, and Canada, then assembled in orbit over more than a decade. Despite geopolitical tensions, the partnership has kept working.

It runs on bartered resources: Russia provides crew transport and reboost, while NASA provides electrical power and life support. This interdependence was deliberate — it makes unilateral withdrawal hard, and the model now serves as a template for future ventures.