On April 10, the Valdai Discussion Club hosted an expert discussion titled “Star Wars Again? Space and Geopolitics.” Moderator of the discussion Ivan Timofeev pointed to the accelerated processes of competition and rivalry in outer space, the emergence of new players in the arena, including China and India, and the likely imminent return of the cultural significance of the topic of space exploration.
Andrey Klepach, Chief Economist of VEB and Advisor to the General Director of the State Corporation Roscosmos, emphasised that we are now on the eve of a new rethinking of the role of space. Not only are space and its economy becoming the most important sphere - the ideas of cosmism also seem relevant. He added that despite all the rivalry between space powers, outer space remains in many ways an area of partnership, including between Russia and the United States, and recalled the importance of the ISS project. It is not yet clear what will replace it. Several projects related to the Moon, asteroids and Mars are under discussion. According to Klepach, work is also currently underway on the Russian national space project. Russia has very serious trump cards when it comes to an expedition to Mars related to nuclear energy in space. “The history of the Earth shows that some dramatic changes were associated with space objects. Humanity must understand that space can also be a threat, and not only in a military sense,” Klepach said. These threats must be prepared for, which requires systems that we currently lack. A new organisation for space surveillance is also required.
Nayak Shailesh, Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (India), presented the Indian view of space exploration. He pointed out that the Indian space programme differs from similar programmes in other countries. Instead of a military component, it is based on the civilian use of space technology. India actively launched communication and observation satellites. This has helped it deepen its knowledge of agriculture and the climate, and contributed to the progress of education and telemedicine. Thus, the space industry plays an important role in the development of India. The defensive use of space by India began only in 2019 with the creation of the space agency. At the same time, India believes that space should only be used for peaceful purposes, but recognises that the space component will play a key role in the deterrence system in the future. Shailesh also noted the important role of international space cooperation both globally and regionally, particularly in matters of exchanging satellite information to ensure maritime safety and space surveillance.
“We need to move into space at the international level and only together with other countries,” said Valentin Uvarov, Director of ANO Space Economics and Policy. “We perceive space as something common, and this is enshrined in the main treaties, primarily in the Outer Space Treaty, which declares it the heritage of all mankind.” He emphasised that, in particular, within BRICS the idea of joining forces in the space industry is being discussed at the highest level.
Speaking about the topic of space in the information sphere, Uvarov pointed out the need to work separately with each target audience. The population needs to be explained why space exploration is needed and why taxpayers' money should go to such programmes, and businesses should be informed why it is profitable to invest in space and what space technologies can provide to specific industries, because space is also a driver of technological development. “The main problem is that we treat space as a thing in itself, and not as a space economy,” he believes.
