Working through the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSP) has invited applications from UN member states to conduct experiments on China’s space station. It is expected to launch next year and be ready for operations by 2022. It will consist of a core section with two attached laboratory modules. Three astronauts will be able to live onboard.

In a statement, Shi Zhongjun, China’s ambassador to the UN and other international organisations in Vienna, said: “CSS belongs not only to China, but also to the world. All countries, regardless of their size and level of development, can participate in the cooperation on an equal footing.” It could also provide a lifeline to countries who are currently reliant on the International Space Station (ISS) but fear that the US might pull the plug on funding in the middle of the next decade. The European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has already been training in China. In the US, Nasa is forbidden by law from collaborating with the Chinese and hopes that private companies will take over the ISS.