The Hindu Editorial (Steady but slow) – Oct 01, 2024

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The Hindu Editorial (Steady but slow) – Oct 01, 2024:

mission (noun) – an expedition (journey) into space.
Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) (noun) – NASA’s Artemis lunar rover, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, is the car-sized (robot) rover designed to map the distribution of water-ice in the moon’s south pole region and the soils in which it occurred, over three months.
potential (noun) – capability, capacity, ability, power, prospects.
development (noun) – progress, progression, advancement, improvement, growth.
beset (noun) – to have too many problems/troubles; trouble, bother, afflict, worry, anguish, harass, embarrass (persistently)
balloon (verb) – increase rapidly; rise, surge, soar, shoot up, escalate.
hold/stand one’s ground (phrase) – stand firm, be firm, be resolute, be determined, show determination.
dismay (verb) – shock, shake up, surprise, sadden, dishearten, dispirit, disturb, upset, trouble, bother.
map (verb) – survey, depict, portray.
in all (verb) – in total, altogether.
golf-cart (noun) – a small, battery-powered, three- or four-wheel vehicle used for transporting one or two golfers and their equipment around a golf course.
rover (Pragyan) (noun) – a space exploration vehicle designed to move and explore the surface of a planet or moon. A rover is mobile, and has wheels with which it can move.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket (noun) – one of the world’s most powerful operational rockets, Falcon Heavy can lift nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lbs) to orbit. It is designed, manufactured and launched by American aerospace company SpaceX.
deploy (verb) – employ/bring into effective action; bring into service; have recourse to; use, utilize, employ, make use of, take advantage of.
Astrobotic (noun) – the Moon company (a private U.S. company, and funded by NASA) specializes in making space missions feasible and more affordable for science, exploration, and commerce. And they think the Moon is a great place to start. As a lunar logistics company, they provide end-to-end delivery services for payloads to the Moon.
‘Griffin’ lander (noun) – Griffin is a medium-class lander with flexible mounting options to accommodate a variety of rovers and other large payloads. Its autonomous sensor systems provide a safe and precise landing in even rugged and hazardous terrain, enabling it to support robotic missions such as resource prospecting, polar volatile characterization, and skylight exploration.
lander (Vikram) (noun) – a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of a planet/moon. A lander is immobile, and maintains its fixed position once it has landed.
Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) (noun) – NASA is working with several American companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. These companies of varying sizes will bid on delivering payloads for NASA, including payload integration and operations, launching from Earth and landing on the surface of the Moon.
moon-landing (noun) – lunar landing; it is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon.
time-consuming (adjective) – tedious, laborious, tiresome, prolonged, protracted, long-drawn-out.
draw attention to (phrase) – emphasize, highlight, accentuate, underline, underscore, give emphasis to, lay stress on, call attention to, focus on, zero in on
the U.S. House Committee (noun) – The House’s committees consider bills and issues and oversee agencies, programs, and activities within their jurisdictions.
the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (noun) – It oversees agency budgets totaling over $42 billion and its jurisdiction covers most non-defense and non-human-health Federal research and development.
increasingly (adverb) – more and more, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more.
lunar (adjective) – referring to the Moon.
rush (noun) – hustle and bustle, urgency.
potentially (adverb) – likely, possibly, probably.
geopolitical (adjective) – relating to (the study of) the geographical factors (a country’s position on the earth, size, climate, and natural resources &, etc.) in world politics and inter-state relations.
pivotal (adjective) – central, vital, significant/important, crucial/critical.
axis (noun) – alliance, coalition, bloc, union.
Artemis Accords (noun) – NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other founding member nations. The purpose of these Accords is to establish a common vision via a practical set of principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) (noun) – Indian Space Research Organisation, formed in 1969, superseded the erstwhile Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR). Vikram Sarabhai, having identified the role and importance of space technology in a Nation’s development, provided ISRO with the necessary direction to function as an agent of development. ISRO then embarked on its mission to provide the Nation space-based services and to develop the technologies to achieve the same independently.
Chandrayaan-4 (noun) – Chandrayaan-4, slated for launch in 2027, will be a critical stepping stone in India’s lunar exploration program. It includes bringing back moon rocks and soil to earth after a soft landing on the lunar surface, launching a spacecraft from the moon, demonstrating a space docking experiment in lunar orbit and getting the samples back to earth.
Chandrayaan-3 (noun) – Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar exploration mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after Chandrayaan-1 (launched on October 22, 2008) & Chandrayaan-2 (launched on 22 July 2019). Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. It consists of Lander and Rover configuration. It was launched by LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota on July 14, 2023. The Chandrayaan-3 has reached the lunar orbit almost a month after its launch, and its lander, Vikram, and rover, Pragyaan, were landed on the Moon on August 23. Notably, the landing site of the latest mission is more or less the same as the Chandrayaan-2: near the south pole of the moon at 70 degrees latitude.
Chandrayaan 2 (noun) – Chandrayaan-2 was the second lunar exploration mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after Chandrayaan-1. It consisted of a lunar orbiter, and also included the Vikram lander, and the Pragyan lunar rover, all of which were developed in India. The spacecraft was launched on 22 July 2019. However, the lander crashed when it deviated from its intended trajectory while attempting to land on 6 September 2019. ISRO re-attempted a landing in 2023 with Chandrayaan-3.
Chandrayaan 1 (noun) – Chandrayaan-1 was the first Indian lunar probe under the Chandrayaan program. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation in October 2008. The mission was a major boost to India’s space program, as India researched and developed its own technology in order to explore the Moon.
descend (verb) – move downwards, go down, come down, alight.
erupt (verb) – appear, emerge, break out, ensue.
claim (verb) – assert, declare, affirm, state.
elite (noun) – high society people; the group of most powerful people in a society; best.
autonomous (adjective) – independent, self-determining.
soft-landing (noun) – a landing by a spacecraft on the moon or a planet without any damage/destruction incurred to the vehicle.
proclamation (noun) – a formal public statement, announcement, declaration, pronouncement.
overlook (verb) – fail to notice, ignore, dismiss, reject, neglect, disregard, pay no heed/attention to, take no notice of.
considerable (adjective) – sizeable, substantial, appreciable, significant, noticeable.
perspective (noun) – point of view, viewpoint, approach.
pertinent (adjective) – relevant, appropriate, applicable, germane, suitable.
flagship (noun as modifier) – the biggest, the best, the most important (event/programme).
in parallel (phrase) – happening at the same time and having some relation.
cadence (noun) – the flow or rhythm of events; rhythm, tempo, pulse.
in exchange for (phrase) – in return for.
incapable (adjective) – unable to do something.
manoeuvre (verb) – manage, arrange, organize, plan.
sought past and past participle of seek (verb) – ask for, request, appeal for, solicit.
Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission (noun) – The Indo-Japanese Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission is envisaged to explore the permanently shadowed regions or the dark side of the moon. The main objective of the mission is to confirm the presence of water in the polar regions of the moon.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (noun) – The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was designated as a core performance agency to support the Japanese government’s overall aerospace development and utilization.
counterpart (noun) – someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another; equivalent, equal, fellow.
prospect (verb) – explore, search, examine, check out, inspect, survey.
allocation (verb) – allotment, granting, grant, distribution, doling out, budgeting, earmarking, setting aside (especially of money, that is given to a particular person or used for a particular purpose).
in the offing (phrase) – likely to happen, on the way, coming soon, coming up, close at hand, imminent, on the horizon, in the wings, just around the corner, upcoming, forthcoming.