Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Stepping stone: On Shubhanshu Shukla, NASA-Axiom-ISRO tie-up

Stepping stone: On Shubhanshu Shukla, NASA-Axiom-ISRO tie-up

The NASA-Axiom-ISRO tie-up is an admirable (प्रशंसनीय, सराहनीय) outcome

A crew of four astronauts including India’s Shubhanshu Shukla completed their roughly two-week mission to the International Space Station on July 15. Mr. Shukla’s trip was presumed (अनुमान लगाना) to have been an intensive (गहन, तीव्र) rehearsal (पूर्वाभ्यास) ahead of his flight as part of India’s first batch of astronauts for ISRO’s ‘Gaganyaan’ mission, currently expected in 2027. The presumption is because the goals of Mr. Shukla’s trip, which ISRO arranged for by paying north of ₹500 crore to Axiom Space, have not been officially communicated by Indian authorities. Fortunately, clarifications from Axiom and NASA have since cast more light on its purpose. While ISRO and the Department of Space are still expected to proactively (सक्रिय, पहल करने वाला) disseminate (प्रसारित करना, फैलाना) what they know about their activities under Gaganyaan, not least because of the mission’s ₹20,000 crore price tag, Mr. Shukla’s trip ought to strengthen ISRO’s preparations. Human spaceflight is a highly involved endeavour: (प्रयास, कोशिश) once in space, the crew is on its own and the resources to respond to a variety of situations are limited. According to a statement ISRO published after the mission launched on June 25, Mr. Shukla and Prasanth Nair — who is also part of Gaganyaan’s first cohort of astronauts and was part of the Axiom mission’s backup crew — were familiarised with “advanced spacecraft systems, emergency protocols, scientific payload (The part of a vehicle's load, especially an aircraft's or spacecraft's, that is carried for payment or is useful) operations, microgravity adaptation (अनुकूलन), space medicine, and survival traits”. As the mission pilot, per Axiom, Mr. Shukla was also coached on docking and undocking, manual operations, atmospheric reentry, and anomaly management. Onboard the space station, Mr. Shukla was exposed to operations in the Japanese and European modules, for which he and Mr. Nair were trained in Japan and Germany. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has also said that the Axiom mission cost less than what ISRO might have had to invest if it had to train Mr. Shukla on its own. In all, the NASA-Axiom-ISRO tie-up emerges as an admirable (Deserving respect and approval) outcome, even as space agencies continue to closely guard space technologies for their strategic value.

Concerns that the limitations imposed by the U.S.’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations would prevent the duo from learning much may also be laid to rest. Instead, they may be replaced by concerns about ISRO’s piecemeal communication. Astronauts cut inspirational figures and appeal to all ages. As India prepares for its first human spaceflight mission, there can be no better way to build excitement than by facilitating (सुगम बनाना, सुविधा प्रदान करना) access to India’s astronauts. The lack of initiative is hard to rationalise, although it is still not too late. ISRO as well as India’s soft power platform will make copious gains by expanding outreach (पहुँच, जनसंपर्क) and easing public access to the spacefarers.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Admirable (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रशंसनीय, सराहनीय
English Meaning - Deserving respect and approval.

2.Presume (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - अनुमान लगाना
English Meaning - To suppose that something is true, without proof.

3.Intensive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गहन, तीव्र
English Meaning - Concentrated on a single area or subject or into a short time; very thorough or vigorous.

4.Rehearsal (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्वाभ्यास
English Meaning - A practice or trial performance of a play, concert, or other work, typically in preparation for a public performance.

5.Proactive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सक्रिय, पहल करने वाला
English Meaning - (Of a person or action) creating or controlling a situation rather than just reacting to it after it has happened.

6.Disseminate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसारित करना, फैलाना
English Meaning - To spread or disperse (something, especially information) widely.

7.Endeavour (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रयास, कोशिश
English Meaning - An attempt to achieve a goal; to try hard to do or achieve something.

8.Adaptation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अनुकूलन
English Meaning - The action or process of adapting or being adapted; a movie, television drama, or stage play that has been adapted from a written work.

9.Facilitate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुगम बनाना, सुविधा प्रदान करना
English Meaning - To make (an action or process) easy or easier.

10.Outreach (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पहुँच, जनसंपर्क
English Meaning - The activity or practice of providing a service or information to people in remote locations or who are unable to access conventional services.

11.Payload (Noun)

English Meaning - The part of a vehicle's load, especially an aircraft's or spacecraft's, that is carried for payment or is useful.

12.Admirable (Adjective)

English Meaning - Deserving respect and approval.