The early perestroika period was characterised by a dynamic progress of the Soviet space program. The International Halley’s Comet Project, including the Soviet Vega mission (1984–1986), epitomised the remarkable expansion of scientific research. In 1986, the Soviet Union launched Mir, its third orbital station within a decade, and in 1988, the single flight of the Energya-Buran transportation system integrated all available cutting-edge technologies. The election of Mikhail Gorbachev as General Secretary of the CPSU in March 1985 and the introduction of his new thinking policy inevitably had a profound impact on the space sector. Similar to his predecessors, Gorbachev viewed space as an instrument of foreign policy, albeit one that underwent significant changes in its application. The priority of national and ideological prestige, as well as military-strategic importance, gradually gave way to the rhetoric of the new thinking, which promoted international cooperation in space endeavours and emphasised their exclusively peaceful nature. Over time, the space issue gradually receded from the political agenda as the political, economic, and social crises that Gorbachev faced in the latter half of his leadership deepened.