Author Sergei Pereslegin: "Near space has already become a space for business and competition"

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The panel discussion "Digital Space: Data, Management and New Markets Beyond Earth" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 8 October as part of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future". The event was organised in partnership with the Roscosmos State Corporation. The discussion covered topics such as space-based internet and navigation, the development of multi-satellite constellations, the introduction of AI into space technologies, and the creation of infrastructure and services around space missions.

Scientific Director of the Sociosoft project, Director of the Knowledge Management Centre at IRIAS, physicist, sociologist, military historian, science fiction theorist, and publicist Sergei Pereslegin emphasised that space exploration will increasingly influence the global economy. He also noted that the technologies needed for lunar exploration will be just as essential in the Arctic, which is of strategic importance to Russia.

"According to scientists’ calculations, by 2100–2110 the space economy will surpass the Earth’s economy. Near space, including the Moon, has already become a space for business. Roscosmos, Rosatom, and Sber are developing their ecosystems, and some of them will inevitably go beyond Earth. We are only at the beginning, and someone will be the first," said Sergei Pereslegin.

Boris Glazkov, Deputy Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation, spoke about the growing competition in space.

"Near-Earth space and its infrastructure represent another environment through which signals, cargo, and people move. Today, even the Moon is seen as an arena of competition, which means there will be intergovernmental barriers there as well. The task of Roscosmos in near-Earth space is to act as a regulator, not a player. Our goal is to facilitate exploration and reduce the cost of launches, not to make money," emphasised Boris Glazkov.

Albert Yefimov, Vice President and Director of the Research and Innovation Department at Sberbank PJSC, highlighted the special role of private companies in space exploration.

"Today, there are already more commercial satellites and rocket launches than state-owned ones. In the future, governments will only set the rules of the game, while business will directly develop and monetise outer space," stressed Albert Yefimov.

The boundary between digital and space technologies is becoming increasingly blurred, noted Alan Kazkenov, Deputy Chairman of the Aerospace Committee of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"The future lies in the synthesis of technologies from AI, big data, and space. We need to prove that space is not a luxury but a driver of innovation that can benefit everyone. Space exploration is a multidisciplinary effort, which creates the need for megaprojects and encourages specialists from different fields to work together. For that, we need new management technologies," said Alan Kazkenov.

Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of Space Research at Lomonosov Moscow State University Vasily Sazonov pointed out that large-scale projects do not always pay off directly.

"When the tsar built the Trans-Siberian Railway, everyone said it was a waste of money. But in the end, it united the country. The same goes for space projects — they give rise to entire industries. We are destined to remain a space power. Our plans for developing Siberia and the Far East cannot be realised without space technologies," concluded Vasily Sazonov.

The II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" was held on 7–8 October at the National Centre RUSSIA and brought together participants from 86 countries. It gathered more than 260 Russian and international experts from China, the United States, Italy, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The expert programme for professionals and the open programme for the general public included around 50 events. The programme and livestreams are available on the website.

The International Symposium "Inventing the Future" was organised by order of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, under the auspices of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The analytical partner is the VCIOM Analytical Centre, and the literary partner is the Eksmo-AST Publishing Group.