The implementation of plans for the militarization of space would lead to an abrupt intensification of the nuclear threat and would deprive peoples of any hope that a day might come when nuclear weapons will disappear from the face of the Earth. More than that, the arms race would acquire a qualitatively new and still more dangerous dimension in every respect. It would consume colossal new resources, which could serve the peaceful development of mankind and the solution of the vital problems facing it. Like a grave, incurable disease, militarization would strike at all spheres of space activity and create insurmountable obstacles blocking the development of international co-operation in the peaceful exploration of outer space. The peoples and Governments of all countries must realize the scale of the task facing mankind and the full measure of their historical responsibility for resolving it. . We have reached a point in the development of civilization when either an age of large-scale exploration and utilization of outer space for the good of man will begin or outer space will become a source of lethal danger to man. CD/639 page 5 The Soviet Union is a firm opponent of competition in any arms race, including the space arms race. The efforts at present being undertaken by the USSR to prevent the militarization of outer space represent the continuation of a consistent policy specifically aimed at ensuring the utilization of outer space for the good of mankind. When blazing the first trails in space, as far back as in 1958 the USSR submitted a proposal in the United Nations providing for the prohibition of the utilization of outer space for military purposes. Although it proved impossible at that time to find a radical solution to the problem of the non-militarization of space, important agreements were concluded 
**Analysis**
The text primarily discusses the implications of militarizing space on international cooperation, the threat of nuclear weapons, and the potential consequences for human development. It emphasizes the importance of peaceful exploration and utilization of outer space for the benefit of humanity. The text also highlights the Soviet Union's efforts to prevent the militarization of space and the need for international cooperation to achieve this goal.

**Category**
Science and technology, International relations