The U.S. and Russia are Parting Ways in Space and That's Risky America’s “unipolar moment” has lingered on in the international distribution of space capabilities, but it will not last forever. American space partisans could be forgiven for yawning at the recent announcement that the Russian and Chinese space agencies will build a joint lunar research base. The statement included no timeline, and everyone knows that paper plans for space projects are a dime a dozen. While the Russians and Chinese talk, NASA is busy testing rockets and selecting astronauts for its Artemis Program, which is supposed to return Americans to the Moon within the next five years. Yet U.S. space policy is about more than budgets and big engineering problems. It also contains a strong tradition of international cooperation, especially across geopolitical boundaries. Whether or not it comes to fruition, the Sino-Russian plan is the latest sign this tradition is in trouble. A series of new programs, agreements, and organizations indicate the United States is adopting a more unilateral space policy. In the long run, this risks fracturing the multilateral space regime.