In a landmark achievement for India’s space program, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully docked two satellites in orbit under the SpaDeX mission on Thursday. The accomplishment makes India the fourth nation in the world, after the United States, Russia, and China, to achieve this milestone.
China lauded India for its achievement, with Yu Jing, the Chinese spokesperson in India, congratulating ISRO. “Congratulations to India #ISRO for successfully docking satellites under the SpaDeX mission!” she stated.
India’s Growing Space Achievements
This is not the first time China has praised India’s advancements in space exploration. In September 2014, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, successfully entered Mars’ orbit on its maiden attempt. China had called the achievement a “landmark progress” in mankind’s exploration of outer space. MOM made India the first Asian nation to reach Mars’ orbit and the first in the world to do so on its first attempt.
China’s own maiden Mars mission, Tianwen-1, launched in 2020, successfully entered Mars’ orbit in February 2021. However, a decade earlier, China’s Mars orbiter Yinghuo-1, aboard Russia’s Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, failed midway and burned up in Earth’s atmosphere.
India’s 2023 Moon Landing Acknowledged by China
In 2023, after ISRO’s successful moon landing, China’s Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, praised the achievement. Experts quoted in the publication emphasized the potential for collaboration between India and China, citing shared memberships in organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The Global Times highlighted opportunities for cooperation in deep-space exploration, manned missions, data sharing, and astronaut training, showcasing optimism for closer ties between the two countries.
The Bigger Picture: Space and Military Considerations
While India and China are advancing in space exploration, both nations have demonstrated anti-satellite capabilities, signaling their readiness to safeguard their interests in space. This technology allows a missile to bring down a satellite, emphasizing the dual-use nature of space advancements.
A Proud Moment for India
India’s SpaDeX mission reinforces the country’s position as a significant player in global space exploration. As ISRO continues to achieve new milestones, such accomplishments further solidify India’s status as a space power and a key contributor to humanity’s exploration of the cosmos.
