The Russian space industry faces a number of challenges over the next few years. It will look to embrace the power of satellite technologies to reduce the digital divide across one of the largest countries on Earth. Additionally, the country’s big satellite operators — RSCC and Gazprom Satellite Systems — are looking to become a bigger force on the international stage.

RSCC is seeing a greater proportion of its revenues coming from markets outside of Russia. A recent deal announced with Thaicom is also evidence of a more expansive international strategy.

At SatComRus, we caught up with Andrey Kirillovich, director of integration services and complex projects, RSCC, to talk about satellite communications in Russia, recent takeaways from the SatComRus event in St. Petersburg and some of the challenges facing RSCC and the Russian space industry as we head into a new decade.