Analysis | ISRO's success compared to Pakistan, China's space agencies

August 23, 2023, was etched in history as its India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft soft-landed successfully on the uncharted south pole of the Moon on Wednesday -- a mission that was closely observed not only in the country but across the world.

India now has become only the fourth country to achieve a soft-landing on the Moon, alongside the United States, Russia, and China.

However, let's delve in deep today and find out what's happening with our neighbours - China and Pakistan - in terms of space exploration.

ISRO vs China's CNSA

China is definitely throwing its might as it ups its space technology capabilities. Sample this - in 2021, China alone had more space launches than the United States and all the other Asian countries combined. China set an unbelievable record in 2021 by launching 55 space missions, whereas in the same year, India had only two launches.

"China has more orbital launches than USA and all Asian countries put together. In 2021, China had 55 launches and we (India) had only two launches. Via 55 launches, China placed 115 spacecraft, a total payload mass of more than 191 metric tons in orbit in 2021," says Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd), a veteran Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot and aerospace expert.

He further elaborated that compared to India's launch vehicle - the 4 tonner GSLV-Mk3, China's Long March 5 rocket is capable of carrying five times more payload than the former. Besides, China is also working on building heavy-lift rockets which will be capable of launching 50 tons to orbit.

"India's private space companies are doing exceedingly well, whereas China's iSpace, which was incorporated in 2016 and touted as Asia's first private space company, is struggling. India has all capabilities in place - Anti-satellite missiles, and the GSLV rockets - but our number of launches is less. We have a project for Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA). There is a Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management. We have a Defence Space Agency and one day we will have a Space Command," Chopra added.

However, it must be mentioned that China along with the rest of the world watched Chandrayaan-3 successfully land on Moon's south pole - a feat that even China would envy.

ISRO vs Pakistan's SUPARCO

Pakistan's Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was founded in 1961, a mind-boggling eight years prior to ISRO's establishment.

Even as India and Pakistan share regional proximity, their trajectories in space exploration differ significantly. Let's look at some critical factors that have contributed to Pakistan's lag in the space domain.

One of the reasons attributed to the lag in space exploration is Pakistan's struggle with persistent economic challenges, hindering significant investments in space research and exploration. The country is currently facing its worst economic turmoil in decades, with growth slowing to record low levels amid soaring inflation and interest rates.

The GDP expanded by a meagre 0.29 per cent for the fiscal year ending June 30, the fifth instance in country's history with growth below 1 per cent, according to the National Accounts Committee report.

Shortly after Chandrayaan-3 launch, a clip of Pakistan's former minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, surfaced on social media, in which he seemingly mocks India's Moon mission. He is heard saying, "Itne papad belne ki zaroorat nahin hai (You don't need to go to such great lengths for Moon sightings)."

In contrast, Qaisar Rashid, a columnist at Daily Times, praised India's Chandrayaan mission and the country's achievements in the space and IT sector. He also drew parallels with Pakistan, highlighting its struggles with internal conflicts and an orthodox education system.

Meanwhile, India is also gearing up for its ambitious maiden human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, scheduled for 2023 or 2024. ISRO is also preparing for its first space expedition to study the Sun with Aditya L-1.

(With inputs from DH Web Desk)