Fresh from a record-setting mission, China has laid out a civilian space plan for the rest of the decade and beyond. It wants to develop its programme for peaceful purposes and allowing participation of private and foreign enterprises will help convince a sceptical West.

Countries and companies need to clean up their act as hi-tech debris increasingly poses a risk to satellites, spacecraft and astronauts.

Beijing may see its space programme in terms of national prestige but it is only through cooperation such as its lunar research station being jointly built Russia that the full benefits of such huge investments will be realised