The conquest of space, from the Cold War to international cooperation

For a long period of the 20th century, the political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union was the main vector of space conquest. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic crises in the Western bloc then forced the major space powers to establish long-term international cooperation programmes, which have produced many achievements. In future, with the arrival of new countries that have mastered space flight, such as China, and partners from the private sector, these forces will evolve with an acceleration of space exploration programmes.