On March 18, 2026, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion titled "Humanity's Mars Project: A New Strategic Goal?"
Andrey Ionin, Advisor to the CEO of Geoscan Group, Vice President of the Technological Sovereignty Export Association, called for us to “make our dreams of space ‘great again’”. He stated that although the political possibility of a major international space project currently seems illusory, as leading countries are unable to agree on anything and view every issue as a zero-sum game, now is the time to consider how to overcome this situation and restore mutual trust. “All civilisational challenges are being addressed through the exploration of deep space,” Ionin emphasised. Moreover, such a project can only be international in format, and eventually universal, so all national projects are doomed. Humanity is the only entity for which it makes sense to set the goal of deep space exploration, he is confident. Ionin also noted that deep space exploration requires technological breakthroughs in areas related to nuclear energy in space and the biology of humans, plants, and animals in space.
Anatoly Petrukovich, Director,of Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, added that space is one of the few things that unites humanity. Even during the Cold War, there was always some kind of exchange, and there were common projects. Achievements in competition and cooperation between the great powers were roughly equal. Both were important drivers of progress. Currently, there is a kind of competition that must end to allow for the transition to the next major joint step. At the same time, in his opinion, space is an important tool for changing the international situation for the better: it's no wonder that when signs of a “warming” between Russia and the United States recently emerged, it was the first topic of discussion.
Evgeniya Drozhashchikh, Deputy Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, raised the question of what could motivate states to engage in the space megaproject. A significant motivating factor is global challenges and existential threats that cannot be addressed alone. These include climate change, natural disasters, and other large-scale negative scenarios. Political challenges, including the space race, also cannot be discounted. If a country doesn't enter the race now and doesn't take specific tactical positions, it acknowledges that it will remain in the background in the future. Essentially, this is a question of preserving and strengthening sovereignty. According to Drozhashchikh, there is also an important economic aspect, related in particular to the prospects for mining rare and rare earth metals in space.
“Mars is a test that some will pass and advance to the next level of space exploration, while others will fail and remain stuck at the current level,” said Evgeny Kuznetsov, Co-founder of Digital Evolution Ventures, Evand Singularity University Ambassador . However, before Mars, the Moon is next on the agenda – as the primary source of resources for the subsequent exploration of Mars and the asteroids. This will clearly divide countries into those capable of considering a lunar programme and those that are not. Against this backdrop, Russia must make every effort to return to the circle of countries that view space not as an arena of military and political confrontation, but as an economic arena. “When you prove your capabilities and rights, you earn an equal seat at this table. And in space, Russia must have an equal place: we have no right to go down in history simply as the country that was there first. Russia must be the country that reaps the greatest benefits from the opportunities that space has opened up for humanity,” Kuznetsov said.
