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Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C21) missile expert PK Ghosh on Sunday described the launch of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) historic 100th mission as an outstanding milestone for India. Ghosh, however, said the flip side of this achievement is that India would need to come up to speed to compete with China, which is far ahead in terms of achievements in space technology. "This is a unique and a remarkable milestone for India, primarily not because of the 100th mission that we are undergoing but because we have captured part of the market. But there is nuance to it, there is a separate side to it, which people are probably overlooking. It is not good enough to be good, we have to be better and we have to compete with China," said Ghosh. Ghosh further said that India still has to come up to the expectations to compete with China in outer space arena. "Chinese up till now can put into orbit satellites of 6.5 to 7 tonnes, while we can only put up to two tonnes. So, they have really gone far ahead, they have put a man in the space. They are doing manned flight; we have not reached there. We have sent Chandrayaan-1 but there is a lot of ground to be covered," added Ghosh. The space agency's old warhorse, the PSLV, blasted off into space at 9:51 a.m. with two foreign satellites from the spaceport of Sriharikota. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh witnessed the launch of PSLV C-21, carrying French advanced remote sensing satellite 720 kg SPOT-6 and its 15 kg Japanese micro satellite PROITERES. SPOT-6 is the biggest commercial lift so far since India forayed into the money-spinning commercial satellite launch services after 350kg Agile of Italy was put in orbit in 2007 by PSLV. Twelve other foreign commercial satellites were less than 300 kg. France's five earlier SPOT satellites were launched by European Araine rocket. SPOT-6, built by ASTRIUM SAS,a subsidiary of EADS, France, is an earth observation satellite, while PROITERES, developed by students and faculty of Osaka Institute of Technology, will study Kansai region of Japanese island of Honshu.

ISRO's 100th mission an outstanding milestone, says missile expert