🔍US Government Approves Private Moon Shot
The United States government has given a private American company permission to send a commercial flight to the moon.
Moon Express, Inc. plans to send a robotic lander to the moon. The vehicle has been reported to be the size of the R2-D2 robot from the Star Wars movie series.
“It’s a huge milestone for us,” said Bob Richards, who heads Moon Express.
Until now, private space exploration companies have limited their activities to Earth’s orbit.
Moon Express hopes to begin flights to the moon in 2017, the year in which Google, the technology company, presents its Lunar X Prize. The prize will go to the first privately-funded business to land a vehicle on the moon.
Moon Express joined the race to the moon in 2012. There are now 16 other companies in the competition.
Other private companies and individuals would like to explore space. SpaceX, an American aerospace company, has announced plans to launch its “Red Dragon” spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018. Another company, Planetary Resources, is making plans to mine asteroids for minerals.
Moon Express has said it wants to mine for minerals on the moon.
Words in This Story
permission (n.)允許；許可；准許
⭐If someone is given permission to do something, they are allowed to do it.
🔶permission from
You'll have to get permission from your parents if you want to come.
如果你想來的話，你必須得到父母的許可。
🔶permission for
The Council refused permission for the development.
委員會拒絕了開發許可。
orbit (n.)（天體圍繞行星或恆星運行的）軌道
⭐the curved path through which objects in space move around a planet or star
🔶The satellite is now in a stable orbit.
衛星目前在穩定的軌道上運行。
aerospace (adj.)航空航太工業的；航空太空船製造的
⭐the industry that designs and builds aircraft and space vehicles
🔶The entertainment industry now employs more people than the aerospace industry.
asteroid (n.)小行星
⭐one of the many small planets that move around the Sun, especially between Mars and Jupiter
🔶Finally, the total exposed surface area of the asteroids is less than the surface area of the Moon.
最後，小行星的總暴露表面積小於月球的表面積。
Summary of The Article
Several other private companies are also planning to explore space, including SpaceX, which plans to send a spacecraft to Mars in 2018, and Planetary Resources, which plans to mine asteroids for minerals.
This highlights the increasing role and ambitions of private aerospace companies in space exploration beyond just Earth's orbit. We will see what's next.
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