Dan: Hello, I'm Dan.
Rob: And I'm Rob.
Dan: And welcome to 6 Minute English! Today we're talking about NASA's final
shuttle flight.
Rob: NASA – the American space agency – is closing its shuttle service after 30
years. A space shuttle is a spaceship that's designed to make repeated journeys
between earth and space. And NASA launches its final shuttle flight on 8th July.
Dan: It's the end of an era for space travel.
Rob: Yup, the end of an era – it's the end of a significant period of history.
Dan: Russia and America have been using rockets for space travel since the 1960s.
Rockets are tube-shaped devices that use explosions to power them into the air.
But NASA first started using reusable space shuttles in 1981. This final shuttle
mission is the 135th shuttle flight. So, talking of developments in space travel,
I've got this week's question for you Rob, We all know that Neil Armstrong
was the first man on the Moon, but how many people in total have walked on
the moon so far? Is it:
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a) 12
b) 18
c) 24
Rob: Mm, that's a good question. Erm… I'd say 18.
Dan: As always, we'll see if you're right at the end of the programme.
Rob: OK.
Dan: First of all, let's hear from BBC Science Correspondent, Pallab Ghosh. Here he
is reporting on NASA's final shuttle flight. He says the first shuttle, Columbia,
was launched into orbit 30 years ago, and it heralded a new era.
Rob: To launch something means to put into motion or put into action, and orbit
here is the area around the Earth. So NASA launched its first shuttle into orbit
30 years ago. To herald something means to announce that something is about
to happen – so 30 years ago, the shuttle heralded a new era for space travel.
Dan: Here's the BBC report on NASA's shuttle programme. What words does the
reporter use to describe people's expectations of space travel? And how was
this different from what actually happened?
BBC NASA report
Announcer: Five… four… we've gone for main engine start; we have main engine start.
Lift off of America's first space shuttle!
Pallab Ghosh: Thirty years ago the first shuttle was launched into orbit.
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Announcer: And the shuttle has cleared the tower
Pallab Ghosh: Columbia was to herald a new era, where space travel was cheap and
commonplace. That, of course, didn't happen. Instead, it was expensive
and dangerous, resulting in two shuttles being destroyed in flight.
Dan: The reporter there said that with the launch of Columbia, people believed space
travel would be cheap and commonplace, but in fact it was expensive and
dangerous. What does commonplace here mean, Rob?
Rob: Commonplace means usual or everyday. People expected space travel to be a
cheap, commonplace activity. But of course it wasn't.
Dan: No – space travel has always been a very expensive business. And dangerous
too; two of the shuttles were destroyed in flight. The disasters killed 14
astronauts.
Rob: Astronauts are the people who are trained for space travel. So what's happening
to NASA's shuttle programme now, Dan?
Dan: Well, nothing really – the programme is too expensive to continue; it costs
around US$ four billion a year. Around 10,000 workers have already lost their
jobs in the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, and around 5,000 more are losing
their jobs at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas.
Rob: Wow, so a lot of people becoming unemployed with the end of the shuttle
programme.
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Dan: Yeah, let's hear from one of the workers who was involved in the shuttle
programme. Jerry Mulberry was an engineer for NASA, and now runs a shop
selling space memorabilia.
Rob: So Jerry was an engineer – a person who designs and builds machines - and
now he sells memorabilia – objects that are collected because of their historic
interest.
Dan: Let's listen to the clip. How does Jerry feel about the end of the shuttle
programme?
Jerry Mulberry, former NASA engineer
Yeah, it's kind of a sad and a happy time. You know, we've been part of this thing for a
Columbia was to long time and to see the final mission… I don't know if it's really set in
yet, and it probably won't until it's on its way to space.
Dan: Well, for Jerry, the final launch is both a sad and happy time; he says his
feelings haven't really set in yet.
Rob: To set in here means to become fixed or permanent. I suppose it's sad that the
programme is over, but it's also a time to celebrate the programme's
achievements, don't you think that's right, Dan?
Dan: Well, NASA would certainly like people to remember all the achievements of
the shuttle programme since it started.
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Rob: And what does this mean for space travel now, then Dan? Does this mean no
more astronauts going into space?
Dan: Well, NASA is hoping that private companies will be able to take astronauts
into space, though that probably won't happen for several years. In the
meantime, NASA will pay Russia to fly its astronauts up for them. Right Rob,
well, back to today's question. I asked you how many people in total have
walked on the moon so far?
Rob: Well, I said 18, so was I right?
Dan: Well, in fact you weren't; only 12 people have walked on the moon so far. Neil
Armstrong was the first man on the moon in 1969 and Eugene Cernan was the
last man to set foot on the moon in 1972. So it was only three years, really, that
people were on the moon. Well Rob, before we go, let's hear some of the
words and phrases we've used in today's programme.
Rob: OK, we had:
space shuttle
the end of an era
rockets
to launch
orbit
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to herald
commonplace
astronaut
engineer
memorabilia
Dan: Thanks, Rob. I hope you've enjoyed today's programme and you'll join us
again for more 6 Minute English next time.
Both: Bye!
