What you need to know about SpaceX's 'Demo-2' mission
Objective: Self-study English resources oriented to IT professionals. Level: intermediate and above.
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (R) and Doug Hurley (L) SpaceX's "Demo-2" mission from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida this weekend will be the first flight with astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon capsule built by entrepreneur Elon Musk's commercial space company.
SpaceX conducted a successful test flight of Crew Dragon to the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2019 with a sensor-laden mannequin on board named Ripley, after the character played by Sigourney Weaver in the "Alien" movies.
Bob Behnken, 49, and Douglas Hurley, 53, former military test pilots who joined NASA in 2000, are to blast off from historic Launch Pad 39A on a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
NASA has tentatively scheduled the launch for Saturday afternoon but will assess the weather situation that morning and may decide to push the flight back to Sunday or even a later date.
Wednesday's scheduled flight was scrubbed 17 minutes before blast off because of weather concerns.
It will be the first crewed launch from US soil of a US-made rocket since the space shuttle program ended in 2011 and the first-ever by a private company.
Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock with the ISS about 19 hours after liftoff if Saturday's launch goes ahead.
Preparation
Behnken and Hurley, veterans of two space shuttle missions each, have been in quarantine for more than two weeks and have been regularly tested for COVID-19.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center
On launch day, they are to be served a hearty breakfast and undergo final medical checks.
About four hours before liftoff, the pair will don their futuristic SpaceX-designed spacesuits and say goodbye to their wives—both former astronauts—and children.
The astronauts will then be driven to Launch Pad 39A, which was used for Apollo 11's historic 1969 trip to the Moon, in a Model X electric car built by Tesla, one of Musk's other companies.
After the 20-minute drive, Behnken and Hurley will ride an elevator to the Crew Dragon capsule sitting atop the Falcon 9 rocket.
The astronauts will be strapped into their seats by ground technicians and begin final preparations.
About two hours before liftoff, the hatch will be closed on the capsule and the astronauts will arm the escape system to be used in the event of an emergency during launch.
Fueling of the rocket with propellant begins 45 minutes before liftoff.
Vocabulary activity:
Choose the correct definition for the underlined word:
1) Bob Behnken, 49, and Douglas Hurley, 53, former military test pilots who joined NASA in 2000, are to blast off from historic Launch Pad 39A on a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
a) (of a rocket or spacecraft) take off from a launching site.
b) come down through the air and rest on the ground or another surface.
c) move or be hurled quickly through the air.
2) It will be the first crewed launch from US soil of a US-made rocket since the space shuttle program ended in 2011 and the first-ever by a private company.
a) leaving little or no room for movement; packed.
b) moving or capable of moving at high-speed
c)a launch in which the craft is provided with a group of people to operate it.
3)Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock with the ISS about 19 hours after liftoff if Saturday's launch goes ahead.
a) the vertical take-off of a spacecraft, rocket, or helicopter.
b) an instance of coming or bringing something to land, either from the air or from water.
c) an enclosed area of water in a port for the loading, unloading, and repair of ships.
4) About four hours before liftoff, the pair will don their futuristic SpaceX-designed spacesuits and say goodbye to their wives—both former astronauts—and children.
A) means to put on, as in clothing or hats.
b) a garment designed to allow an astronaut to survive in space.
c) a helmet worn by astronauts while in outer space.
5) The astronauts will be strapped into their seats by ground technicians and begin final preparations.
a) share a location or facility with something else
b) come or go into (a place).
c) To secure someone or something to or into something with a strap, harness, or seat belt.
Key: 1) a, 2)c, 3)a, 4)b, 5)c
Activity created by Comfy Languages Team
Text adapted from: https://phys.org/news/2020-05-spacex-demo-mission.html; https://www.geekwire.com/2019/spacex-elon-musk-starlink/; https://comfylanguages.com/campus/mod/quiz/edit.phpcmid=2017&cat=863%2C198&qpage=0