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There was published the compendium “Exploring Options for Missile Verification” (https://unidir.org/publication/exploring-options-missile-verification), prepared by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). The chapter “Space launch vehicles and ballistic missiles” written in the co-authorship with Research Fellow for the Sector of Military Economy and Innovations of the Department of Military and Economic Security Research of the Center for International Security of the IMEMO Dmitry Stefanovich was included in the issue.

"Distinguishing between space launch vehicle and ballistic missile programmes is extremely difficult in a non-cooperative environment. Even if it can be achieved, a lot of dual-use technologies, including those technologies used for guidance, telemetry acquisition, tracking, payload separation, atmospheric re-entry, will be developed during the course of any space programme. These technologies could have real value for ballistic missile projects. While it is hard (and ineffective) to convert a space launch vehicle into a ballistic missile directly, the technologies used are essentially very similar.

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It is, however, important to recognize that some states would be willing to make a commitment not to develop ballistic missiles while they are pursuing a space launch capability. If this commitment were to be made, there is a range of steps, undertaken voluntarily or as a part of a formal legally binding arrangement, that could provide confidence in the absence of a military dimension of a space programme".