Although nick_indian gave me some good advice in some other thread, and I intend to follow it, this thread has some truly inane aspects which need to be deprecated.
The only space race which mattered was the US-USSR space race. The US was jolted by the Sputnik, then again by Laika's flight. What followed is well-known.
This original, and only, space race brought humanity rapidly into serious space capability. It deserves to be honoured for all time to come.
On the other hand, the painful posturing of the Indian press, and its hysteria over the competition for third, fourth and fifth places in the unknown continuing race, is quite difficult to watch. After the exploits of the astronauts and the cosmonauts, and their joint endeavours, who cares how many times these are repeated, and by whom? We remember the Wright Brothers, Bleriot, Lindbergh; who remembers, or wants to remember the also-rans? That the Chinese are efficient and productive in any community activity involving the whole nation, in their periods of peace and progress, is almost a platitude. They are going through one of their most productive periods in their history. Their success in space is only a reasonable reflection of their overall country-wide efficiency and capability. How will that demean India? What connection does it have with the Indian effort? We have achieved most of what we had set ourselves to achieve. Why should we feel obliged to take up tasks and attempt feats that don't fit into our agenda? Just to keep up with the neighbours? Are we really that childish?
If others believe that this is a matter worth twitting us about, that only demonstrates their schoolyard IQs, not any superior level of intellect.
Is it not enough to congratulate a great nation with having achieved what is apparently one of their cherished goals, and leave it at that?