Transatlantic space cooperation: An empirical evidence

After the Cold War ended in the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the space race was not the factor behind the space exploration and exploitation anymore. The aim of this paper is to analyze the transatlantic space cooperation between the USA (more specifically NASA) and the ESA. The cooperation can be driven by two major motives – economic and political. The empirical evidence suggests that while ESA is motivated by the economic one NASA is motivated by the political one. ESA is seemingly on NASA's tail but it benefits economically.