English Newsletter
GROWING LIKELIHOOD1 OF GETTING STRUCK BY2 FALLING SPACE DEBRIS
Questions for Discussion:
How can we prepare for human impact with space debris? Are humans responsible for removing artificial space debris from orbit and bring them back to earth? What can we do to limit the production of space debris?
Oct. 2022 Issue 2
Over 27,000 pieces of trackable3 space debris4 are now floating in earth's orbit5 and traveling at high speeds. Space debris can be artificial (manmade on earth then launched into space) or natural (breakaway meteoroids). Much of the artificial debris (or space junk4) was launched into orbit5 as byproducts6 or as a part of space exploration or commercial7 missions. Space junk at low orbits can fall back to earth on their own and usually burn up when re-entering the atmosphere8. Not only is the growing amount of space debris (in size, number, and speed) at risk of colliding9 with manned10 space vehicles11, but many scientists also now say that there is a growing likelihood of a human on earth getting struck by falling space debris within the next ten years. Vocabulary & Phases 1. likelihood [ˈlaɪklɪhʊd] n. 可能性 2. getting struck by 受到打擊 [ˈgɛtɪŋ strʌk baɪ] v. phr. 3. trackable [ˈtrækəbl ] adj. 可追 踪 4. space debris [ speɪs ˈdeɪbriː] n. OR space junk [speɪs ʤʌŋk ] n. 太空碎片 5. orbit [ˈɔːbɪt] n. 軌道
6. byproduct [ˈbaɪˌprɒdʌkt ] n. 副產品 7. commercial [kəˈmɜːʃəl ] n., adj. 商業的 8. atmosphere [ˈætməsfɪə ] n. 氣氛 9. colliding [kəˈlaɪdɪŋ] v. ger. 碰撞 10. manned [mænd ] adj. 承載人員 11. vehicle [ˈviːɪkl ] n.飛行器
Food for Thought: Since the beginning of human space exploration starting in the late 1950s and commercial launches in the 60s, there have been over 5,000 launches that have left satellites in orbit. A main concern is the possibility for flying space debris to hit the International Space Station (ISS). NASA and the US Department of Defense collaborate on deciding if a collision avoidance maneuver is necessary.
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