Greetings, students. Now that you’re in Year 3 of your American English studies, you will be able to read, and listen about one of VOA’s “Science and Technology” articles, which explore new developments in science, space exploration, environment and technology in the United States of America as well as in countries all over the world. You are encouraged to carefully read the article and the vocabulary words, as well as listen to the article. Finally, you are invited to share what you learned by discussing why this article is important and meaningful in the comments section below.
Directions: Read the article and study the vocabulary below.
Directions: Listen to the audio recording of the article.
Directions: Share your insights about why this article is meaningful and important by writing in the comments section below.
Lesson 3.37.4: Year 3
VOA, Science & Technolgie
” Companies Worry about Risks as Earth Orbit Gets Crowded.”
Companies are worried about the increasing amount of space debris that is threating satellite orbiting earth thousands of new satellites are being launched into area where debris has been building up science space flight began. This situation is worrying companies that insure against losses during space travel, the increased risk of objects crashing into each other concerns insurers and they are pulling back or leaving the market. the small number of insure that offer satellite insurance are finding difficult to get their arms around significant risk.
“Much of the new activity has come from businessmen.” [Elon Musk, Space X] as it grows its starling network of satellite. Space X did not answer requests for comment as a privately held company, it does not publicly share whether its satellites are insured.
The number of active satellites has jumped 68% from last year and it has increased by more than 200% from five years ago. “Most of these satellites operate in the low earth orbit”. [LEO] which goes up to 2000km above earth. The concentration of debris and increasing numbers of satellites being deployed or increasing the potential of collision.
It is a hard article to understand and to summarize it.