Russia and China consider nuclear power plant on moon
Listen to the story (American accent)
Yuri Borisov, the leader of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said that Russia and China are thinking about putting a nuclear power plant on the moon between 2033 and 2035.
This could make it possible to build lunar settlements one day.
Borisov explained that Russia and China have been working together on a moon program. Russia is helping with its knowledge about “nuclear space energy”.
According to Borisov, solar panels won’t make enough electricity for future lunar settlements, but nuclear power could.
He said this is a big challenge and it should be done in an “automatic” way, without people operating the power plant.
Borisov also talked about Russia’s plans to build a spaceship that runs on nuclear power. He said they have figured out all the technology except how to cool the nuclear reactor.
He called the spaceship a space tugboat. This big vehicle could move large cargo between Earth and the moon, pick up space trash, and much more.
Russian officials have talked before about plans to mine on the moon one day. However, there have been some problems with the Russian space program in recent years.
Their first moon mission in 47 years didn’t go well last year. Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon.
Moscow said it will try more moon missions. Then it will look into possibly doing a mission to the moon with Russian and Chinese astronauts, and maybe also a moon base.
Last month, China said that it plans to send the first Chinese astronaut to the moon before 2030.
Vocabulary30 words
- Leader
- someone who is in charge of a group, organization or country; a boss or manager; a person who guides, directs, or commands a group
- Space agency
- A group or organization that studies and explores space;
- Nuclear power
- atomic energy; electric power generated by a nuclear reactor; ⚛️☢️
- Nuclear power plant
- a facility that generates/makes heat and electricity through the use of nuclear reactions; ⚛️☢️
- Power plant
- A place where electricity is made; A big building that makes electricity ⚡?
- Lunar
- relating to the Moon; something in connection to or from the Moon
- Settlement
- A place where people live, like a small town;
- Explain
- to make something clear or easy to understand
- Program
- project; initiative; a group of activities or things to be achieved; a plan with many parts
- Knowledge
- What you know; All the things you know and have learned
- According to
- as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Solar panel
- a device that changes energy from the sun into electricity; ☀️⚡?
- Electricity
- power; current; energy used to operate lights, TVs, etc.; ⚡?
- Challenge
- problem; obstacle; something that needs a lot of work in order to be done successfully
- Operate
- to manage; run; use; to control or use a machine; conduct
- Spaceship
- A vehicle designed/made for space travel; ?
- Run on
- To work or be powered by something
- Figure out
- To understand or find an answer; To solve a problem
- Cool
- to make cool; to make colder
- Nuclear reactor
- a facility, motor or device that generates/makes heat and electricity through the use of nuclear reactions; ⚛️☢️
- Tugboat
- A strong boat that pulls or pushes other boats
- Vehicle
- a machine, usually with wheels and an engine, used for transporting people or goods; car or truck
- Cargo
- Goods, products, or materials that are transported/sent by ship, aircraft, or other means of transportation
- Earth
- the planet/world we live on ?
- Official
- a person who works for the government or a government company and has power or authority; officer; executive
- Mine
- To dig valuable things like gold, diamonds or coal out of the ground
- Mission
- an expedition into space; an important job that a person is sent somewhere to do; A special task or goal that someone or a group is trying to achieve
- Spacecraft
- A vehicle designed/made for space travel; ?
- Astronaut
- a person who is trained to travel in space; ??
- Base
- a place that is the center of operations; camp; headquarters; site; center
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Yuri Borisov, the _____ of Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said that Russia and _____ are thinking about putting a nuclear power _____ on the moon between 2033 and _____.
This could make it _____ to build lunar settlements one day.
Borisov _____ that Russia and China have been working together on a moon _____. Russia is helping with its knowledge about “_____ space energy”.
According to Borisov, _____ panels won’t make enough electricity for future lunar _____, but nuclear power could.
He said this is a big _____ and it should be done in an “automatic” way, without people operating the _____ plant.
Borisov also talked _____ Russia’s plans to build a spaceship that _____ on nuclear power. He said they have figured out _____ the technology except how to cool the nuclear reactor.
He _____ the spaceship a space tugboat. This big vehicle could move large _____ between Earth and the moon, pick up space trash, and _____ more.
Russian _____ have talked before about plans to mine on the moon one _____. However, there have been some problems with the _____ space program in recent years.
Their _____ moon mission in 47 years didn’t go well last year. Russia’s Luna-_____ spacecraft crashed into the moon.
_____ said it will try more moon missions. Then it will look into possibly doing a _____ to the moon with Russian and Chinese astronauts, and maybe also a moon _____.
Last month, China said that it plans to _____ the first Chinese astronaut to the moon before 2030.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Russia and China are considering putting a nuclear power plant on the moon?
- How do you feel about the idea of operating a power plant in an “automatic” way without people?
- How might the problems with the Russian space program in recent years affect their future plans?
- What are some of the challenges we might face in establishing a moon base?
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