Table of Contents
SpaceX has successfully tested its new rocket called Starship. This is an important event for the company after several failed tests.
The Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. The rocket has two parts, a booster with engines called Super Heavy and a spacecraft called Starship.
The flight started in Texas, USA at around 6:30 PM. The flight lasted about 60 minutes.
From the beginning, things went well. All of the booster’s 33 engines started. After about seven minutes, the booster separated and fell into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft continued to fly up to almost 200 kilometers above Earth. Then, it flew around the planet.
During the flight, parts of the rocket looked like they were on fire. The company said it did this to test the rocket’s durability. The rocket returned to Earth damaged, but it was a good learning experience. This test shows that SpaceX is closer to its goal of safely and reliably carrying people into space.
SpaceX is planning to send people to the Moon and Mars. The company wants Starship to be a reusable transport system. The U.S. space agency, NASA, plans to use Starship to send astronauts to the Moon in 2027. This trip is part of a program called Artemis.
After the successful test, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote a message on social media. He wrote, “Great work by the SpaceX team!!” This successful launch is very important because the previous three Starship launches this year failed.
Vocabulary
- Successfully – done well; achieved the desired result; works the way it’s supposed to
- Rocket – a powerful vehicle that travels through space 🚀
- Event – Something that happens; affair; matter
- Several – some; more than 2, but not many
- Fail – to lose; to not succeed; to have a bad result; unsuccessful
- Ever – At any time; in history; in your life
- Booster – The part of a rocket that has the big engines and “pushes” it up
- Spacecraft – A vehicle designed/made for space travel; 🚀
- Last – to continue; to continue to exist; to continue for a period of time; to keep going
- Separate – to disconnect; to detach; to move apart or away from something else; to split
- Earth – the planet/world we live on 🌎
- Planet – a large object in space that orbits (goes around) a star (Earth is a planet 🌍)
- Part – a piece of something; a section of a whole thing; not the whole thing
- On fire – When something is burning; the fire is happening on something
- Durability – quality of being able to last a long time without becoming damaged; the ability of something to withstand heavy use or damage over a long time: how tough/strong something is
- Damaged – broken or not working correctly; bad condition
- Learning experience – an event or action that you learn from, even if it is not pleasant or bad
- Show – to prove something or make the truth or existence of something known; confirm; demonstrate; to display; to represent
- Reliably – normally good; can be trusted; dependable
- Space – the area outside of Earth with stars and darkness; 🌌
- Reusable – able to be used again; you can use it more than one time
- Transport – to move goods or people from one place to another
- Agency – an organization, company, or department that provides a service; bureau
- Plan – want; aim; to intend to do something
- Astronaut – a person who is trained to travel in space; 🧑🚀
- CEO (Chief Executive officer) – the top person in a large company; president; boss
- Launch – to shoot; to fire; to push; to throw; to send something into space or the sky
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Do you think it is a good idea to send people to the Moon and Mars? Why or why not?
- SpaceX wants its rockets to be reusable. Why is this important?
- The article says the rocket was damaged. Do you think you think SpaceX really wanted to damage it? Why?
- What do you think are the biggest challenges of traveling to space?
- If you had the chance to travel to space, would you go? Why or why not?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
SpaceX has _____ tested its new rocket called Starship. _____ is an important event for the company after several failed _____ .
The Starship is the _____ and most powerful rocket ever built. The _____ has two parts, a booster with engines called Super Heavy _____ a spacecraft called Starship.
The _____ started in Texas, USA at around 6:30 PM. The flight lasted about _____ minutes.
From the beginning, _____ went well. All of the booster’s 33 engines started. _____ about seven minutes, the booster separated and _____ into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft continued to _____ up to almost 200 kilometers above Earth. _____ , it flew around the planet.
During the flight, _____ of the rocket looked like they were on fire. The _____ said it did this to test the rocket’s durability. The rocket _____ to Earth damaged, but it was a good learning experience. This _____ shows that SpaceX is closer to its _____ of safely and reliably carrying people into _____ .
SpaceX is planning to send _____ to the Moon and Mars. The company _____ Starship to be a reusable transport system. The U.S. _____ agency, NASA, plans to use Starship to send astronauts to the _____ in 2027. This trip is part of a _____ called Artemis.
After the successful test, SpaceX _____ Elon Musk wrote a message on social media. He _____ , “Great work by the SpaceX team!!” This successful _____ is very important because the previous three Starship launches this year _____ .
