Prediction Passage #3
Living on the Moon
Nasa Shoots for the Moon and then Mars
BY LISA M. GUIDONE
Only 12 people have set foot on the moon—so far [2007]. The last time was in late 1972, when two astronauts walked on its surface. Their final visit—the longest of any—lasted just three days. Now astronauts are preparing for another mission to our space neighbor. This time, though, they plan to stay there.
Nasa Shoots for the Moon and then Mars
BY LISA M. GUIDONE
Only 12 people have set foot on the moon—so far [2007]. The last time was in late 1972, when two astronauts walked on its surface. Their final visit—the longest of any—lasted just three days. Now astronauts are preparing for another mission to our space neighbor. This time, though, they plan to stay there.
NASA recently announced plans to build a permanent 2 base on the moon. Astronauts could be living and working there by 2020, according to the U.S space agency. The goal is to prepare astronauts for a trip to Mars in the future. Under the plan, four-person crews will begin with week-long missions to the moon. By 2024, when more equipment has been set up, astronauts will be able to reside, or live, on the moon for as long as six months. Astronauts will travel in roving vehicles to explore the area near the lunar moon) base.
Polar Plus
Unlike Earth, the moon has no air, wind, or weather. Its dusty terrain, or surface, is covered with deep craters. So how can humans survive on the moon?
NASA hopes to establish a lunar outpost near one of the moon's poles. "These locations experience sunlight for longer periods of ime than other locations on the moon, which will make it possible to use solar power," NASA official Michael Braukus told WR News. olar power is energy from the sun that can be used to generate electricity. It is also likely that the polar regions are rich in natural esources, such as oxygen and hydrogen. While on the moon, astronauts plan to use natural resources for water and fuel.
Stepping Up Space Travel
The moon is the only place beyond Earth that humans have visited. About 238,900 miles away, the moon is Earth's closest space
neighbor. On July 20, 1969, Americans Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Those pace pioneers traveled to the lunar surface on the Apollo 11 mission. NASA's new direction is to surpass, or greatly exceed, the pollo
missions of the 1960s and early 1970s. "This is not your father's Apollo," says space policy expert John Logsdon at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. As part of its new phase of space exploration, NASA will retire, or stop using, its aging space shuttle fleet by 2010. For their trek to the moon, astronauts will travel aboard the new Orion crew exploration vehicle, which is being developed. The vehicle, a modernized version of the Apollo craft, will attach to a lunar lander.
Next Stop Mars
The moon mission is part of former President George W. Bush's long-term space plan. The proposed base is the first step in the bold plan to prepare astronauts for their ultimate destination—Mars.
Polar Plus
Unlike Earth, the moon has no air, wind, or weather. Its dusty terrain, or surface, is covered with deep craters. So how can humans survive on the moon?
NASA hopes to establish a lunar outpost near one of the moon's poles. "These locations experience sunlight for longer periods of ime than other locations on the moon, which will make it possible to use solar power," NASA official Michael Braukus told WR News. olar power is energy from the sun that can be used to generate electricity. It is also likely that the polar regions are rich in natural esources, such as oxygen and hydrogen. While on the moon, astronauts plan to use natural resources for water and fuel.
Stepping Up Space Travel
The moon is the only place beyond Earth that humans have visited. About 238,900 miles away, the moon is Earth's closest space
neighbor. On July 20, 1969, Americans Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Those pace pioneers traveled to the lunar surface on the Apollo 11 mission. NASA's new direction is to surpass, or greatly exceed, the pollo
missions of the 1960s and early 1970s. "This is not your father's Apollo," says space policy expert John Logsdon at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. As part of its new phase of space exploration, NASA will retire, or stop using, its aging space shuttle fleet by 2010. For their trek to the moon, astronauts will travel aboard the new Orion crew exploration vehicle, which is being developed. The vehicle, a modernized version of the Apollo craft, will attach to a lunar lander.
Next Stop Mars
The moon mission is part of former President George W. Bush's long-term space plan. The proposed base is the first step in the bold plan to prepare astronauts for their ultimate destination—Mars.