The successful launch of the Agni III missile and the PSLV this month lets the Indian space establishment heave a big sigh of relief and put behind the embarrassing failures of the Agni III test and the GSLV launch last July. This, however, is no time for India to rest on its laurels. When compared to China, India has a long way to go in outer space.

In the last five years, China has put into orbit 23 satellites of different types. Earlier this month Beijing had launched the fifth satellite of the ‘Compass’ navigation system. After the US, Russia and the European Union, China will be the first nation to offer space-based navigation services.

The number of satellite series that China runs has increased from four to six. Defined by their function, the different satellite families focus on communication, direct broadcast, remote sensing, weather, navigation and research.

Most of these satellite systems have military applications built into them. For example, the communication satellites can help beef up the Red Army’s command and control systems. The navigation satellites enhance the accuracy of its missile force.

As China’s civilian and military space programmes leap ahead, the international reaction too is setting in. Last week, China abruptly postponed an international conference to be held in Beijing this week on managing the dangerous space waste.

China was apparently concerned that the meeting would have become an occasion for international criticism of its controversial test of an anti-satellite weapon last January. The test which broke up an old weather satellite is said to have created up to 1500 pieces of debris. Western media is speculating that many of the Chinese civilian space experts were kept in the dark about the ASAT test by Beijing’s military establishment.

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