Scientists are working on a moon probe device.

Arms-race fears

However, China's space program appears to have stoked speculation that it is being used for military surveillance.

"The People's Liberation Army has been working on various forms of space-warfare programs for a long time," Larry Wortzel, vice chairman of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, was quoted by US-based Defense News as saying.

Referring to China's recent maneuvers, which reportedly involve rendezvous operations between the Shijian-06F satellite and the more recently launched Shijian-12 craft, Wortzel said the rendezvous might have been part of China's effort to develop space weapons, "or it could be completely innocent, or a combination" of the two?

China said the Shijian-12 craft was mainly used for scientific research, environmental monitoring and telecommunications.

Weng Jingnong, a BUAA professor, told the Global Times that the priority of China's space program is to serve civilian purposes, including disaster management and environmental protection. "Given the frequent natural disasters China has experienced in recent years, it is increasingly important to use space technology to monitor extreme weather," he said.