Reader TTS

India’s accomplishment in becoming the only Asian country to send a spacecraft to Mars has earned it a place in the top rankings of space-faring nations, a report by a Chinese research

institution has said. The US, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and India are the leading powers in space, the Beijing Institute of Space Science and Technology Information said in a report. It

is affiliated to the China Academy of Space Technology. India became the first Asian country to successfully send a probe to Mars in 2014, marking a breakthrough in its space capability,

state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. The institute for the first time evaluated the space capabilities of 20 countries and regions across six aspects: strategy, product

systems, infrastructure, industrial scale, innovation and international influence. China’s space capabilities are ranked the fourth in the world. The US’ status as the only superpower in

space is unshakable, but the gap between the US and other nations is narrowing, it said. Europe and Russia are ranked as the next two great powers. With its technological advantages and

alliances with the US, Europe has also made a giant leap in its space capability. Pursuing an independent development path, China has made remarkable accomplishments in space technology,

showing strong momentum and potential. The report also mentions emerging countries in space represented by Canada and the South Korea, which closely follow China, Japan and India. Driven by

the needs of national security and economic interests, more countries are vying to flex their muscles in space, the report said. _(With inputs from PTI)_