10/12/2020 Achieve3000: Lesson Printed by: AYDAN ZEIDNER Printed on: October 12, 2020 How About a Weekend in Space? Article CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Achieve3000, June 28, 2019). Who doesn't love a vacation? Well forget the French Riviera and the Virgin Islands. NASA has those beach getaways totally beat. The space agency has announced that it's offering tourists the opportunity to ride a spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The first visit is expected to take place as early as 2020! So are you up for an exciting weekend among the stars? Visitors may not have to be real astronauts to go. But the voyage does come with a few hurdles. For one thing, taking a spacecraft to low-Earth orbit sure won't be cheap. A round-trip ticket to space will cost around $58 million. Then add in about $35,000 per night for room and board. (Hope you've been saving that allowance!) "If a private astronaut is on station, they will have to pay us while they're there for the life support, the food, the water, things of that nature," said Jeff DeWit, NASA's chief financial officer. Photo credit: 3D Sculptor/iStock/Getty Images Plus For the first time ever, NASA will allow people to get up close and personal with the ISS—as long as you have enough cash to make the trip. And anyone who wants to fly out of this world will need to know exactly what they're getting into. Space flights can be dangerous even for professional astronauts. Every tourist will first be required to train with NASA. In the past, NASA has been opposed to the idea of commercializing the space lab. However, it's decided to open space to paying tourists as a way to reduce the growing costs of the ISS. The space station has a huge annual price tag of $3 to $4 billion. NASA plans to start with two private astronaut flights a year. Each trip will last 30 days max. But the space agency will not sell directly to customers. SpaceX and Boeing will step in. They are both working with NASA on the project. The companies are developing capsules that can carry passengers to the ISS. They will handle the private tourists and any services related to them. But tourism is just the start. The long-term plan is to hand the ISS over to private companies for a fee. NASA officials imagine a new orbit economy. They see space loaded with habitats and modules (picture mini space stations). The habitats will allow for many commercial purposes. This could include medical research, film and TV production, and, of course, tourist "resorts." All this will help free up some of the yearly costs of operating the ISS. NASA will use that money to fund other projects. One plan is to build a new spaceship that will orbit the moon. This craft will be for sending astronauts back to the moon's surface. It'll be called "Gateway." NASA plans to have and keep a presence around the moon by 2024. The Gateway will also act as a waypoint for future missions to Mars. So will the ISS one day be a mere layover for tourists on their way to chill out poolside on a moon hotel? And will we one day be booking trips to Mars? Don't pack your bags just yet. But in the not-too-distant-future, it's quite possible. You may very well be booking a round-trip ticket for the stars! https://portal.achieve3000.com/kb/lesson/do_print?lid=19051&c=1&step=all&pagebreaks=1 1/5 10/12/2020 Achieve3000: Lesson The Associated Press contributed to this story. Video Credit: Courtesy of NASA Dictionary allowance (noun) a small amount of money that is regularly given to children by their parents annual (adjective) happening once a year commercial (adjective) related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services mere (adjective) used to say that something or someone is small, unimportant, etc. https://portal.achieve3000.com/kb/lesson/do_print?lid=19051&c=1&step=all&pagebreaks=1 2/5 10/12/2020 Achieve3000: Lesson Activity PART 1 Question 1 Based on the Article, which best replaces the question mark in the diagram above? NASA needs money to maintain the ISS, which costs $3 to $4 billion annually. SpaceX and Boeing developed capsules to carry passengers to space. Many people are interested in traveling to Mars. NASA is building a moon hotel called the Gateway. Question 2 The best alternate headline for this Article would be __________. Gateway to be a Waypoint for Future Mars Missions NASA To Open the ISS to Tourists as Early as 2020 NASA Plans New Spaceship to Orbit the Moon Annual Price Tag of the ISS $3 to $4 Billion and Rising Question 3 The Article states: All this will help free up some of the yearly costs of operating the ISS. NASA will use that money to fund other projects. One plan is to build a new spaceship that will orbit the moon. This craft will be for sending astronauts back to the moon's surface. It'll be called "Gateway." NASA plans to have and keep a presence around the moon by 2024. The Gateway will also act as a waypoint for future missions to Mars. The author's purpose for writing this passage was to __________. convince the reader that it is time to send astronauts back to the moon's surface criticize NASA's decision to allow space tourists to visit the ISS show why space tourists need to join astronauts on missions to the moon's surface explain the reason why NASA plans to commercialize the ISS https://portal.achieve3000.com/kb/lesson/do_print?lid=19051&c=1&step=all&pagebreaks=1 3/5 10/12/2020 Achieve3000: Lesson Question 4 Which is the closest antonym for the word mere? gloomy lesser distant necessary Question 5 Which passage from the Article best supports the notion that NASA has other ideas in mind for the ISS beyond tourism? SpaceX and Boeing will step in. They are both working with NASA on the project. The companies are developing capsules that can carry passengers to the ISS. They will handle the private tourists and any services related to them. The long-term plan is to hand the ISS over to private companies for a fee. NASA officials imagine a new orbit economy. They see space loaded with habitats and modules (picture mini space stations). So will the ISS one day be a mere layover for tourists on their way to chill out poolside on a moon hotel? And will we one day be booking trips to Mars? The space agency has announced that it's offering tourists the opportunity to ride a spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Question 6 Read this passage from the Article: And anyone who wants to fly out of this world will need to know exactly what they're getting into. Space flights can be dangerous even for professional astronauts. Every tourist will first be required to train with NASA. In this passage, the word required means __________. given money to do something ordered to do something advised to do something given the option to do something Question 7 The reader can tell from the Article that __________. tourists have visited the moon NASA is building a moon hotel not everyone will be able to afford the trip to the ISS tourism will pay for all of NASA's operating costs Question 8 https://portal.achieve3000.com/kb/lesson/do_print?lid=19051&c=1&step=all&pagebreaks=1 4/5 10/12/2020 Achieve3000: Lesson The Article says all of the following except __________. space tourists will train with NASA before journeying to the ISS a round-trip ticket to the ISS will cost around $58 million SpaceX and Boeing are developing a spaceship that will orbit the moon tourists traveling to the ISS will have to pay extra for room and board https://portal.achieve3000.com/kb/lesson/do_print?lid=19051&c=1&step=all&pagebreaks=1 5/5