Space Diplomacy

Mai’a K. Davis Cross’s expertise in space diplomacy broadly includes in-depth analyses of the drivers of international cooperation and competition in outer space exploration historically to today. We are on the cusp of a new Space Age, with the exponential growth of hundreds of public and private actors across the globe investing in and cultivating a permanent presence in space. Despite widespread rhetoric about Space Race 2.0, Professor Cross argues that we have a tremendous opportunity to work together across national boundaries when it comes to space. She has published a series of articles and policy briefs delving into how and why governmental and non-governmental actors have collaborated in the realm of space policy, including, “The Social Construction of the Space Race: Then and Now,” International Affairs and a 2023 double-length special issue on Space Diplomacy for the Hague Journal of Diplomacy.

Professor Cross regularly appears in media coverage on space, such as BBC, Vanity Fair, Vox, Scientific American, and USNews, and highlights the importance of space diplomacy to encourage cooperation rather than conflict in space. She has been invited to speak to a range of policy, private sector, practitioner, and academic audiences about space diplomacy, including RAND, the Council on Foreign Relations, University of Washington, University of Leiden, Duke University, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), and University of Bonn.

Mai’a Cross served on the Council on Foreign Relations Independent Task Force on Space Policy from 2024 to 2025. She also led a task force on A Policy Framework for International Cooperation in Space Biotechnology supported by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York and published by Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. She is also a partner on “Earth to Orbit – Building Bridges in Space” (DISCOVER) with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), funded by the Norwegian Research Council, for which she leads the work package on governance on the Moon and other celestial bodies.