Ronald Reagan called it America’s Strategic Defence Initiative. Others called it “Star Wars” as Washington extended the Cold War into space.

Now, more than 35 years later, Washington is once again extending its military horizon beyond the planet.

Donald Trump has called for “American dominance in space” with a vision that appears even more ambitious than that of his predecessor.

He has proposed establishing a “Space Force” which, should it be endorsed by the US Congress, will be America’s sixth military service.

The US aerospace industry hopes to cash in on what would be the first defence service to be created since the establishment of the US Air Force in August 1947. But there is some debate over how extensive the new opportunities will be for major contractors. The Pentagon has been working with the industry on a lot of the technology for some time.