Question 160
MediumOriginal questionSending a satellite into space is hard. Sending people is much harder, because a machine can be lost but a must come home. Gaganyaan is ISRO's project to show that India can do it.
The plan is simple to state. A crew of three is to be launched into an orbit about 400 km above the Earth, stay there for a mission of three days, and then be brought back safely, landing in the sea in Indian waters.
What makes it difficult is everything that has to be built first. The rocket itself must be "human-rated", meaning it has been made and tested to the far higher standards of safety needed for carrying people. The spacecraft needs a life support system to give the crew an like the Earth's, with air to breathe and the right temperature and . There must be a way for the crew to if something goes wrong during the launch. And the astronauts must be chosen, trained, recovered from the sea and cared for once they return.
ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre leads the work, drawing on its own experience, on Indian industry and universities, and on technology available from other space agencies. The skills it builds are meant to last beyond this first flight, towards future work such as spacecraft together and building a space station.
The writer's attitude towards Gaganyaan is best described as
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The writer stresses again and again how hard the task is, from "Sending people is much harder" to the long list of what must be built first.
The tone is serious and respectful of the challenge, without doubting that it can be done.
Worth noting
Cost is never mentioned, so there is nothing to be critical of in the passage.
- Concept
- Identifying the writer's attitude
- Typical timeTypical
- 45 s
- Your timeYours
- —
Ten questions from Factual passages, at your own pace.