88 Language skills Extras Explore 6 Production and industry Explore reading: Solar Polar on the International Space Station Read the text about the ISS’s solar panel arrays, then answer the questions (1–7) using a maximum of four words. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. Bastian Schaefer of Airbus Industries shares a very bold idea: that in the near future, we may be able to 3D-print jumbo jets. In his talk on ted.com, he shares a vision for the sustainable future of aviation: a jumbo jet that’s light, cheap and spacious, with an exterior that mimics the structure of bone. He imagines the jet as a “living, breathing organism,” complete with its own consciousness. And he imagines the jet printed from the ground up. Why use 3D printing technology to create the plane of the future? Bastian explains that unlike traditional machining – which removes material from a larger piece of material – 3D printing is an additive process, layering material on top of material. Thus, there is little to no waste. However, there is still a long way to go. Before we can create Bastian’s jumbo jet, we need the giant 3D printer to print it. Bastian reminds us of the importance of having a vision. He says, “We cannot predict the future. We can only create a vision of what it might be.” 35 New Solar Arrays to Power NASA’s International Space Station Research As the International Space Station orbits Earth, its four pairs of solar arrays soak up the sun’s energy to provide electrical power for the research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the station’s continued operations. The space station is the springboard to NASA’s future Artemis missions to the Moon, a platform to test advanced technologies for human exploration of deep space, and future missions to Mars. NASA has also opened the space station for business and commercial activities, including private astronaut missions. Though they are functioning well, the current solar arrays are showing signs of normal wear and tear, as expected. Designed for a 15-year service life, the solar arrays have been operating continuously since the first pair began in December 2000, with additional array pairs delivered in September 2006, June 2007, and March 2009. The first pair of solar arrays has now provided continuous electrical power to the station for more than 20 years as more modules were added and dozens of crews tackled thousands of scientific experiments and continued operations through hundreds of spacewalks, cargo missions, and more. To ensure a sufficient power supply is maintained for NASA’s exploration technology demonstrations for Artemis and beyond, NASA will be adding new solar arrays to six of the eight existing power channels of the space station. Boeing, NASA’s prime contractor for space station operations, its subsidiary Spectrolab, and major supplier DSS (Deployable Space Systems) will provide the new arrays. The combination of the eight original, larger arrays, and the smaller, more efficient new arrays will restore the power generation to approximately the amount generated when the original arrays were first installed, providing a 20% to 30% increase in power for space station research and operations. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODE3MDE=