Space exploration vocabulary

Question 1

space exploration

Answer 1

fundamental reaserch aimed at finding out new information about the universe

Question 2

terrestrial

Answer 2

living on the land or on the ground, rather than in water, in trees or in the air

Question 3

extraterrestrial

Answer 3

sth, f.e. a creature that comes from another planet; a creature that may exist on another planet

Question 4

collapse

Answer 4

fail suddenly and completely OR run into one another with an explosion

Question 5

explode

Answer 5

burst (= break apart) or make something burst loudly and violently, causing damage

Question 6

orbit

Answer 6

a curved path followed by a planet or an object as it moves around another planet, star, moon, etc.

Question 7

satellite

Answer 7

​a natural object that moves around a larger natural object in space OR an electronic device that is sent into space and moves around the earth or another planet

Question 8

host

Answer 8

planet with a satellite

Question 9

debris

Answer 9

pieces of wood, metal, building materials, etc. that are left after something has been destroyed

Question 10

outer space

Answer 10

​the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are

Question 11

dwarf planet

Answer 11

smaller planet, f.e. Pluto

Question 12

astronomer

Answer 12

a scientist who studies astronomy

Question 13

observation

Answer 13

the act of watching somebody/something carefully for a period of time, especially to learn something

Question 14

spacecraft

Answer 14

a vehicle that travels in space (rocket, rover, satellite)

Question 15

surface

Answer 15

the top layer of an area of water or land

Question 16

government funding

Answer 16

money given by the government to fulfill a purpose

Question 17

pour money into

Answer 17

waste a lot of money on

Question 18

unravel the mysteries

Answer 18

find out the answers to the enternal questions

Question 19

contribute to the public good

Answer 19

benefit the society in a long run

Question 20

funnel taxpayers’ money into more

down-to-earth projects

Answer 20

use the money for sth more practical

Question 21

derive benefits

Answer 21

find out ways to use sth practically

Question 22

scientific pursuits

Answer 22

reaserches, usually fundamental ones

Question 23

private ventures

Answer 23

risky businesses not based on governmental fundings

Question 24

make human space flight commercially

viable

Answer 24

make launching people into space financially beneficial

Question 25

go beyond low-Earth orbit

Answer 25

leave the Earth orbit

Question 26

ferrying astronauts to the International

Space Station

Answer 26

process of transporting astronauts to the International

Space Station

Question 27

launch the last mission

Answer 27

finish a space programm

Question 28

test pilots

Answer 28

pilots trying out a spacecraft

Question 29

descent of a rover

Answer 29

landing of a small vehicle made by NASA and sent to explore the surface of a planet

Question 30

satellite imagery

Answer 30

photos and videos taken by a satellite

Question 31

experience weightlessness

Answer 31

experience the fact of having or appearing to have no weight, for example because there is no gravity

Question 32

igniting in the lower atmosphere

Answer 32

catching fire when coming closer to the Earth

Question 33

break even

Answer 33

become financially justified (money spent=money gained)

Question 34

Possible questions to consider:

Answer 34

1) Should governments pour money into space explortion ot should it solve down-to-earth problems first?
2) What potential value can a fundamental research have? Is it destined to break even/become commercially viable?
3) Was the space race of the 1960s vital and heroic or meaningless and wasteful? Why?
4) Is the public interest to space exploration fading? Why/why not?
5) Is there life on other planets? Is it possible to get into contact with it? Is it possible to find a livable planet soon enough? Why/why not?