At a space conference held Thursday in east China’s Anhui Province, it was revealed that the future of the deep space economy will focus on sectors such as energy, internet, tourism, and cultural creativity, with the global market expected to reach the trillion-U.S. dollar level by 2040.
Shi Pingyan, chief engineer of China’s Deep Space Exploration Lab, shared these insights in a report delivered at a sub-forum of the Third International Deep Space Exploration Conference, held in Hefei from Thursday to Friday.
The report identified ten key sectors shaping the future of the deep space economy: resource exploitation, internet, energy, biology, transportation, smart technologies, construction, tourism, security, and cultural creativity. It also highlighted the expansion of the space economy through the development and utilization of extraterrestrial resources.
Shi noted that China’s deep space exploration is shifting from scientific research and technological breakthroughs to a new stage of economic empowerment and industry-driven development. According to him, the deep space economy is poised to become a core engine for fostering new quality productive forces and upgrading the aerospace industry.
He further emphasized the importance of international cooperation, technological innovation, government guidance, and commercial impetus in building the deep space economy.
The Third International Deep Space Exploration Conference, themed “Near-Earth Asteroids,” focuses on asteroid detection, planetary defense, and resource utilization.