Energy and space - a pragmatic connection

In Russia, the oil and gas industry is a major factor in the country’s economy. It is Russia’s main export, a source of taxes and the sponsor of social initiatives; its development is vital for the country. Today, Russia’s economic modernization calls for migrating from a raw material extraction driven economy to a hi-tech economy. It is no accident that Russia’s largest energy sector player anticipated the current model many years ago and now its largest space sector player as well.