Vocabulary:

1. to emerge – появляться, возникать

2. to execute – осуществлять, выполнять

3. vast – широкий, обширный

4. observation - наблюдение

5. to carry out - выполнять

6. to determine – определять, устанавливать

7. to establish – учреждать, устанавливать

8. circumterrestrial - околоземный

9. near space – ближний космос

10. survey – обзор, осмотр

11. to utilize – использовать, расходовать, употреблять

12. to accomplish – совершать, выполнять, достигать

13. thorough – доскональный, тщательный, основательный

14. comprehensive - всесторонний, полный, всеобъемлющий

15. trial – испытание, проба

16. to confirm – подтверждать, подкреплять

17. ultraviolet band - УФ-диапазон

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What new line has emerged in cosmonautics?

2. What did the crew of the Soyuz-10 spaceship execute?

3. Where did the Soyuz-11 transport the crew? What was the purpose of its flight?

4. Can you enumerate any of the tasks associated with space exploration?

5. Have all the tasks described in the text been accomplished by the crew?

6. What was the purpose of the next flight?

II. Find the English equivalents of the following phrases:

• воздействие космоса на человеческий организм

• прогноз погоды

• проводить наблюдения

• исследование ближнего космоса

• оптимальные условия для жизни и работы

• надёжность систем и приборов на борту корабля

• доставка команды корабля на станцию

• делать фотографии различных объектов

• пилотируемый космический корабль

• атмосферные изменения (образования)

• совершить полёт и состыковку

• тщательное (подробное) исследование

III. Make up your own sentences with some of the phrases listed above.

IV. Make up a dialogue: you are the cosmonauts who are going to conduct some researches on the space station, so you discuss the future tasks and purposes of this mission

Text 4. Space tourism

The passed XX century was marked by incredible achievements, which were not known in the history of the human civilization before. The flight of a human being into space is considered to be a culmination of scientific-technical revolution of the last century: that was the Soviet fighter pilot, the first cosmonaut of the planet Yuri Gagarin who encircled the Earth on April 12, 1961. From this moment on the active exploration of space has started - new spacecraft were designed, automatic vehicles were sent to the planets of the Solar system, space stations were launched into orbit, a human being went into outer space and visited the Moon. The development of space industry has drawn more and more people of different professions in it - i.e. scientists, engineers, designers, test pilots. But only a few out of the hundreds thousands specialists were given a unique chance to fly to space.

Nowadays the space technologies are gradually transferring from the sphere of experimental and scientific research into the field of practical implementation. And now it's a high time for everyone not only to take use of the satellite communication, but also to fly into the real space without being a professional cosmonaut.

April 28, 2001 has become an official birthday of the space tourism - it was then that the "Soyuz TM-32" space vehicle having had aboard the first space tourist in the world was launched into space from the Baikonur launch site at 11:37 Moscow time. The American millionaire Dennis Tito has spent 7 days in orbit and dedicated his in-flight time to the Earth photographing from space. This mission successfully ended on May 6, 2001 at 9:41 Moscow time, when the descent capsule softly landed in the Kazakh steppes.

"Around 400 people have already been to space. It's a great privilege for me - to observe the Earth from space, encircling it every 90 minutes. My flight into space is not a walk, it is fulfillment of my life­long dream", - said Dennis Tito prior to take-off.

One year later, on April 25, 2002 the space tourist N2, resident of the South African Republic Mark Shuttleworth was launched into space. In contrast to Dennis Tito the second space tourist was allowed to freely move along the space station. In accordance with the agreement between ROSAVIAKOSMOS and NASA Mr. Shuttleworth was permitted to use onboard notebook computers for sending and receiving the e-mail. In addition, he was given a certain time for using the US communication system for down linking video and photo footage. When in space Mark Shuttleworth carried out this own scientific-research program, as well as participated in multiple press conferences (live broadcasting was transmitted in 30 countries of Africa).

After his 10-day space mission Mr. Shuttleworth has announced his firm desire to fulfill a new space mission "at any time". In order to commemorate this incredible event the second space tourist purchased a mock-up of the "Soyuz TM-33" descent capsule, which had successfully delivered him back to the Earth, as well as his space suit.

ATLAS aerospace company is privileged to offer you a real flight into space - the most unbelievable and challenging adventure. That is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The most sophisticated space technologies, unique experience of our specialists and the most perfect equipment will be at your service.

If you are able to afford this unusual space travel, if you are medically fit to withstand the rigour of a space flight, if you are flexible in time to pass ail the preparatory training, and the most important -if you are dreaming to be one of those, who have ever been to space, we can be at your disposal and make your dream true.