SPACE EXPLORATION (1)

          Entering the twenty - first century, we have an unimagi­nable array of technology and a generation of young people schooled in these technologies. Three decades ago people placed six flags on the Moon. Our automatic space stations reached almost all planets of Solar System. Today we no longer try for new space achievements; instead we celebrate the anniversa­ries of the past. Our work is unfinished.

         I have read a large amount of books and magazines, in ad­dition to the science books. People have been preparing to land on Mars, but because of some obstacles, we have not realized it yet.

         If we compare technologies of 1960s and 1970s, when ma­jor achievements in space exploration were made and techno­logies we have today, we might be surprised. The Apollo Lu­nar Module had a computer in it, as we all know. The Lunar Module computer had 4,096 bytes of erasable storage. Current processors reach over 3000MHz, hundreds times more that it was that time and modern personal computers often have over 500 million bytes of erasable storage, to say nothing of mo­dern fixed storage. 30 years of advancement have given us the ability to do even more in rocketry and computing and every­where else. Our future achievements should not be dwarfed by our past achievements.

         We need to explore space, using a combination of automa­ted probes and manned missions. Humans need to explore space, because by not doing so, we are denying our creative and curious nature.

QUESTIONS:

1. When did people place flags on the Moon?

2. Have all planets of Solar System been visited by our au­tomatic space stations?

3. Why do we need to explore space?

VOCABULARY:

unimaginable — невообразимый

array — множество; совокупность

to place — разместить, установить

to reach — достичь, добраться

Solar System — Солнечная система

achievement — достижение, успех

to celebrate — праздновать, веселиться, радоваться

anniversary — годовщина, юбилей

obstacle — помеха, преграда, препятствие

to realize — осуществлять, выполнять

exploration — изучение, исследование

erasable — стираемый, оперативная (о памяти)

advancement — развитие, достижение, прогресс, успех

ability — способность

rocketry — ракетная техника

to dwarf — останавливать рост; препятствовать развитию

manned mission — пилотируемый полет / миссия

curious — любопытный, любознательный, пытливый