Space conference in China unveils future trends of deep space economy

HEFEI -- The future development of deep space economy is expected to focus on the sectors such as energy, internet, tourism and cultural creativity, with global market scale reaching trillion-dollar-level by 2040, according to a space conference held on Thursday in East China's Anhui province.

The details were shared by Shi Pingyan, chief engineer of China's Deep Space Exploration Lab, in a report at a sub-forum of the third International Deep Space Exploration Conference held in Hefei of Anhui province from Thursday to Friday.

The report highlights ten major sectors as the future trends of deep space economy and the expansion of the space economy featured by the development and utilization of extraterrestrial resources. These sectors include resource exploitation, internet, energy, biology, transportation, smart technologies, construction, tourism, security, and cultural creativity.

Shi said that China's deep space exploration is progressing from scientific research and technological breakthrough to a new phase of economic empowerment and industry-driven development. The deep space economy is poised to become a core engine for cultivating new quality productive forces and driving the upgrade of the aerospace industry.

He also called for international cooperation, technology innovation, government guidance and commercial impetus to develop the deep space economy.

The third International Deep Space Exploration Conference, themed "Near-Earth Asteroids", focuses on asteroid detection, planetary defense, and resource utilization.