Russia-Belarus space cooperation mechanisms and commercial spin-offs examples

The paper considers a legal framework and implementation mechanisms for Russia-Belarus cooperation in space. The historical outline of the joint space programs of the Union State of Russia and Belarus planning and implementation is provided. The key directions of the bi-lateral regional cooperation include the Earth remote sensing, university satellite programs as well as deployment and use of the satellite-based navigation ground augmenting networks. Other cooperative projects cover space robotic technologies, electronic components and satellite technologies. The project is under implementation for creating an international joint-stock company providing the Earth observation services based on the orbiting spacecraft owned by two countries. The potential for the cooperation extending is also discussed.